The fact that the original O-train project cost only 27 million dollars to build is incredible. Crazy when considering the $4 Billion wanted for the Scarborough subway extension. You could build 296 O-Train lines for that price. It actually spurred (heh spurred) other similar rail projects in the USA, like the San Diego Sprinter, the SMART train in California, etc. Basically using abandoned rail lines as new passenger service.
it was 27 million because the track was already there, we (ottawa) only added 3 double-tracking sections, and it being single tracked makes it so that the fastest frequency is 12 mins, and we only have (i think) 6 trains
Would love to see Trillium line continue north to University of Quebec and follow current bus lines to downtown Gatineau. Also would like to see some massive and dense development around Bayview and UQ.
Unfortunately that won't happen. The train bridge is going to be converted into a pedestrian/bike bridge. Gatineau has plans to use the Alexander bridge as a light rail connection into the downtown.
I would love to see a whole network serving Barrhaven, Kanata, Sittsville, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham, Thurso (and further on towards Montreal). Exactly like it's since decades in Europe.
It actually could happen! If you know your history you would know the o-train sat on what was a really old railway line that ran into quebec, i hope this actually happens in the future so i can get to Quebec without riding a car, walking, or biking across a bridge
@@cloroxbleach7262 No way... Ottawa actually commissioned a brand new design from Alstom... the Citadis Spirit... This was partly why there were so many issues with it in the beginning.
Great to see some video of this line in operation! They really should call it a commuter rail line though, since it uses European mainline commuter rolling stock on mainline rails...
I'm surprised this video has no shots of the tunnel under Dow's Lake, either from the train's point of view or from near either end. I walked through it once while the O-Train was under construction. It was very cool, both literally and figuratively.
I take this line several times a week as I am a Carleton student. And to be honest while it is great, the train is quite slow. At the Greenboro and bayview stations, the train waits on the track for about 5-8 minutes before leaving. The train also stops or slows down for a loooong period of time waiting for the train going in the opposite direction to pass. I really think this line, while small could definitely have benefitted from being two tracks the whole length of the line like it is at the Carleton station.
Each train takes 16 minutes to go from one end of the track to the other, then delays 8 minutes before setting off again. This makes for a 24-minute cycle, so the trains arrive on average every 12 minutes, and the hourly schedules are all identical (04, 16, 28, 40, and 52 minutes after the hour at each end).
Fun fact: i was around when the line used to connect with the Alexandria Subdivision, the one that was severed and connected to the prince of wales bridge/cheif william commandra bridge, the sound of those freighters in the evening could keep me sleeping throughout the night
It looks like the southern extension of the Trillium line is going to involve cutting through hard rocky terrain for the passing lines. Only Carleton has two-way platforms as of now? Great vid once again.
The planned Stage 2 passing sidings are all outside of the rock cut sections of the line. That heavy work won't come until it is time to officially double track the line from end to end - which is still decades off based on current plans.
Yes, currently Carleton is the only stop with two platforms. Originally it was the only place with two tracks, so only two trains could run at a time, and they had to pass one another at Carleton. Each train arrived every 15 minutes on average. They've since doubled the tracks in between Greenboro and Mooney's Bay, and in between Carleton and Bayview, so four trains can run at once, and a train in each direction arrives every 12 minutes on average.
This line is unique among the United States and Canada Diesel light rail system is that it has PZB and Sifa installed. The OC Transit Ottawa training manual might have this word Zugbeeinflussung to acknowledge PZB otherwise Zwangsbremsung or failure to acknowledge Sifa Its Sifa Zwangsbremsung. The new trains are actually made in Salt Lake City Utah Stadler Plant. If Electrified the obvious choice might be Reading RR overhead line clearance but 15kv 25hz which is PRR 11kv 25hz increased to 15kv by 4kv or 15kv 16.7hz to run Deutsche Bahn EMUs
Are there any firm plans to extend the line over the now defunct Prince of Wales bridge, or to extend the line service to the airport? Also, this line predated the new LRT, so sholdn't this be Line 1, seems odd. Also I should say, if the rail bridge is too weak for trains, just make it a bike path at least.
The rail bridge is fine. The problem is politics: different city, different province. Ottawa and Gatineau have generally kept their transit systems separate. I expect the Gatineau government would throw a fit if someone proposed sending Ottawa trains across the river into their territory. Otherwise it would be sensible to extend the Trillium line across the Prince of Wales bridge, over to Terraces de la Chaudiere, Place du Portage, and the museum, then back across the Alexandra bridge (which was originally designed for trains) to connect to the Confederation line at or near Rideau.
So what ever happened to the original 3-car sets for this line? They were less than 20 years old! The greenboro terminus does look cool as it is shared with a reserved bus highway!
4:05 The X next to the 120. In Europe that space is reserved for in which countries that train is allowed to ride. For example DE (Germany), AT (Austria), NL (Netherlands), CH (Swiss).
@@popelgruner595 Line 1 (the new electric line) runs 5 minutes or better at peak times. Line 2 (the diesel line shown here) runs at about 10-12 minute headways at peak times.
@@popelgruner595 Line 2 runs every 12 minutes in most service hours. They attempted to run it every 10 minutes a few years ago but the schedule failed to be reliable.
It will. Stage 2 of the Trillium Line will extend it to: South Keys, Leitrim, Earl Armstrong/Bowesville, and then west to Limebank, PLUS a spur to the airport that will have an interim stop at Uplands. www.stage2lrt.ca/where/south/
Speaking of electrification, with the rise of battery technology it might be wiser to invest in battery powered trains instead. Most of the European manufacturers have already created battery powered models at varying degrees of completion/production. Heck Stadler has 2 different models already. The WINK and the FLIRTakku!
honestly. this line needs to be retrofitted to be like their new LRT. i'm not feeling the diesel engines, one direction and waiting for your right of way... the capital deserves better than this.
You mean like a cramped transit way full of busses? Trillium line is a good start. And if they bring it up to a 10-12 minutes service it is good enough.
@@RMTransitYes that would be very ideal, I also hope the Line 2 extension will use one of the two. I hope for an extension using the disused bridge across to Gatineau connecting to their BRT system to Downtown Gatineau.
The old station name was Confederation, not Walkley, and it was changed to avoid confusion with the new confederation line. Not sure about when it was changed.
@@b_dog9 Walkley Station is currently a bus station that the train passes close by. They are going to be building a train station there as part of the expansion currently under construction.
Its time to reconnect the Airport to high-tech sector in Kanata North; Through the old CN bell junction line that runs from carling, to robertson, to greenbank, woodroffe, merivale and all the way to McCarthy and the existing walkey maintenance yard.
Ottawa Fun Fact: The O-Train trillium line, despite appearing to be a fully operational train line does not actually carry any passengers, this is because it is just for show to make Ottawa appear more modern than it actually is, think of it like those fake apartments in North Korea along the South Korean border.
Electric trains don't pollute, so you can run them through a tunnel without having to deal with exhaust. The Trillium line only goes through one tunnel, which is relatively short and closed off to everything but the train.
Why aren't trains like this circulating all over dense or semi-dense populated areas in Canada and the U.S.? They can use the existing rail network, all needed are platforms.
Why gas? Why they did not do that like in High Tatras light rails or Alpine light railways, or like in any other cities tram systems ? it is just one upper cable ..
@@RMTransit I am from Slovakia. It is possible to build it. Today it isnt science to do upper cable, and it is not not that much expensive... Nobody can convince me, that it's expensive. Especially for Canadian town. In a result, it's cheaper to operate and I'm not talking about air quality..
The Trillium line was built using an existing track. All they had to do initially was ensure the tracks, bridge, and tunnel were in good shape, double the track at Carleton, and build the platforms and maintenance yard. Adding the infrastructure needed for a catenary line would have greatly increased the cost. "Just one upper cable" would have required hundreds of supports.
The Trillium line is now more useful than before because it connects to the Confederation line. They run at right angles, so neither makes the other redundant.
The fact that the original O-train project cost only 27 million dollars to build is incredible. Crazy when considering the $4 Billion wanted for the Scarborough subway extension. You could build 296 O-Train lines for that price. It actually spurred (heh spurred) other similar rail projects in the USA, like the San Diego Sprinter, the SMART train in California, etc. Basically using abandoned rail lines as new passenger service.
In all my time at Carleton, I almost never saw a train use that line. It was a waste of a fine asset. Good to see it being fully used.
it was 27 million because the track was already there, we (ottawa) only added 3 double-tracking sections, and it being single tracked makes it so that the fastest frequency is 12 mins, and we only have (i think) 6 trains
We should really try that on the E&N railway here on Vancouver Island.
We should!
Would love to see Trillium line continue north to University of Quebec and follow current bus lines to downtown Gatineau. Also would like to see some massive and dense development around Bayview and UQ.
Gatineau has plans for a new rail system that will link to the Ottawa Otrain.
Facts
Unfortunately that won't happen. The train bridge is going to be converted into a pedestrian/bike bridge. Gatineau has plans to use the Alexander bridge as a light rail connection into the downtown.
I would love to see a whole network serving Barrhaven, Kanata, Sittsville, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham, Thurso (and further on towards Montreal). Exactly like it's since decades in Europe.
It actually could happen! If you know your history you would know the o-train sat on what was a really old railway line that ran into quebec, i hope this actually happens in the future so i can get to Quebec without riding a car, walking, or biking across a bridge
Great video man! Thanks for all the updates on our new rail system.
I used to frequent UOttawa and Carleton. Sigh...memories
This exact same kind of trains operate as regional trains on unelectrified lines here in Germany
I’m fairly sure Ottawa bought used ones from Europe
@@cloroxbleach7262 that would also explain the paint job, because this train still has the original DB color scheme
@@cloroxbleach7262 well that doesn't surprise me the line 2 is shit
@@cloroxbleach7262 No way... Ottawa actually commissioned a brand new design from Alstom... the Citadis Spirit... This was partly why there were so many issues with it in the beginning.
@@georgobergfell OCTranspo actually uses the same color scheme as DB overall, their buses and Line 1 both have Red/White liveries.
Great to see some video of this line in operation! They really should call it a commuter rail line though, since it uses European mainline commuter rolling stock on mainline rails...
@@RMTransit Works just as well
I'm surprised this video has no shots of the tunnel under Dow's Lake, either from the train's point of view or from near either end.
I walked through it once while the O-Train was under construction. It was very cool, both literally and figuratively.
I take this line several times a week as I am a Carleton student. And to be honest while it is great, the train is quite slow. At the Greenboro and bayview stations, the train waits on the track for about 5-8 minutes before leaving. The train also stops or slows down for a loooong period of time waiting for the train going in the opposite direction to pass. I really think this line, while small could definitely have benefitted from being two tracks the whole length of the line like it is at the Carleton station.
Each train takes 16 minutes to go from one end of the track to the other, then delays 8 minutes before setting off again. This makes for a 24-minute cycle, so the trains arrive on average every 12 minutes, and the hourly schedules are all identical (04, 16, 28, 40, and 52 minutes after the hour at each end).
I really like the architecture of our older bus stations like Greenboro.
Jacob.G.L yeah, the newer ones seem too boxy
Ah the good old Otrain.
Fun fact: i was around when the line used to connect with the Alexandria Subdivision, the one that was severed and connected to the prince of wales bridge/cheif william commandra bridge, the sound of those freighters in the evening could keep me sleeping throughout the night
Why is it goddamn impossible to find a map of this fucking thing?
Looks like in a year or two you'll have to update this video, since they are expanding out to Ottawa Airport and Riverside.
It looks like the southern extension of the Trillium line is going to involve cutting through hard rocky terrain for the passing lines. Only Carleton has two-way platforms as of now? Great vid once again.
The planned Stage 2 passing sidings are all outside of the rock cut sections of the line. That heavy work won't come until it is time to officially double track the line from end to end - which is still decades off based on current plans.
Yes, currently Carleton is the only stop with two platforms. Originally it was the only place with two tracks, so only two trains could run at a time, and they had to pass one another at Carleton. Each train arrived every 15 minutes on average.
They've since doubled the tracks in between Greenboro and Mooney's Bay, and in between Carleton and Bayview, so four trains can run at once, and a train in each direction arrives every 12 minutes on average.
This line is unique among the United States and Canada Diesel light rail system is that it has PZB and Sifa installed. The OC Transit Ottawa training manual might have this word Zugbeeinflussung to acknowledge PZB otherwise Zwangsbremsung or failure to acknowledge Sifa Its Sifa Zwangsbremsung. The new trains are actually made in Salt Lake City Utah Stadler Plant. If Electrified the obvious choice might be Reading RR overhead line clearance but 15kv 25hz which is PRR 11kv 25hz increased to 15kv by 4kv or 15kv 16.7hz to run Deutsche Bahn EMUs
Wow the design of these trains looks just like our Alstom Coradia LINT 81 from DB Regio in Germany 🇩🇪
They are very similar, the original trains were literally rebranded DB trains
Are there any firm plans to extend the line over the now defunct Prince of Wales bridge, or to extend the line service to the airport? Also, this line predated the new LRT, so sholdn't this be Line 1, seems odd. Also I should say, if the rail bridge is too weak for trains, just make it a bike path at least.
point taken, since it is now a secondary line
The rail bridge is fine. The problem is politics: different city, different province. Ottawa and Gatineau have generally kept their transit systems separate. I expect the Gatineau government would throw a fit if someone proposed sending Ottawa trains across the river into their territory. Otherwise it would be sensible to extend the Trillium line across the Prince of Wales bridge, over to Terraces de la Chaudiere, Place du Portage, and the museum, then back across the Alexandra bridge (which was originally designed for trains) to connect to the Confederation line at or near Rideau.
So what ever happened to the original 3-car sets for this line? They were less than 20 years old! The greenboro terminus does look cool as it is shared with a reserved bus highway!
4:05 The X next to the 120. In Europe that space is reserved for in which countries that train is allowed to ride. For example DE (Germany), AT (Austria), NL (Netherlands), CH (Swiss).
They got 2 types of trains?
@@RMTransit Less frequently like...? Every 10 mins opposed to every 12 mins? What are both schemes like on the main operation hours?
@@popelgruner595 Every 15 minutes.
@@jacob.g.l1592 thanks Jacob
@@popelgruner595 Line 1 (the new electric line) runs 5 minutes or better at peak times. Line 2 (the diesel line shown here) runs at about 10-12 minute headways at peak times.
@@popelgruner595 Line 2 runs every 12 minutes in most service hours. They attempted to run it every 10 minutes a few years ago but the schedule failed to be reliable.
05:10 That is very dangerous
Do the phase 2 extensions include converting this line to LRT? or at least duplicating and/or electrifying it?
@@RMTransit Thanks for the info :-)
Getting to South Keys would be a nice improvement, but with all the buses available I expect that will wait until the line goes much further south.
@@annoyed707 South Keys, the Airport and Rivierside South are all part of Stage 2 and construction has already begun.
It will. Stage 2 of the Trillium Line will extend it to: South Keys, Leitrim, Earl Armstrong/Bowesville, and then west to Limebank, PLUS a spur to the airport that will have an interim stop at Uplands.
www.stage2lrt.ca/where/south/
Speaking of electrification, with the rise of battery technology it might be wiser to invest in battery powered trains instead. Most of the European manufacturers have already created battery powered models at varying degrees of completion/production. Heck Stadler has 2 different models already. The WINK and the FLIRTakku!
honestly. this line needs to be retrofitted to be like their new LRT. i'm not feeling the diesel engines, one direction and waiting for your right of way... the capital deserves better than this.
@@RMTransit yes, its kind of like a mix between a regional and local transit line
You mean like a cramped transit way full of busses? Trillium line is a good start. And if they bring it up to a 10-12 minutes service it is good enough.
@@popelgruner595 It was a major improvement for Carleton, and a good use of an otherwise wasted asset.
I believe the new trains on order are designed to eventually be converted to be fully electric
What's the top speed on the line?
@@RMTransit Seriously? I thought it was around 100-110km
I would love see them use the Bombardier Talent 3 Battery Operated Train if it ever reaches North America
@@RMTransitYes that would be very ideal, I also hope the Line 2 extension will use one of the two. I hope for an extension using the disused bridge across to Gatineau connecting to their BRT system to Downtown Gatineau.
When did they change the station name from Walkley to Mooney's Bay?
The old station name was Confederation, not Walkley, and it was changed to avoid confusion with the new confederation line. Not sure about when it was changed.
@@b_dog9 Walkley Station is currently a bus station that the train passes close by. They are going to be building a train station there as part of the expansion currently under construction.
The same type of train runs in Germany on some regional lines.
Its time to reconnect the Airport to high-tech sector in Kanata North;
Through the old CN bell junction line that runs from carling, to robertson, to greenbank, woodroffe, merivale and all the way to McCarthy and the existing walkey maintenance yard.
When Covid eases up and the o train is open again I’ll ride the rails to pass the time
Ottawa Fun Fact: The O-Train trillium line, despite appearing to be a fully operational train line does not actually carry any passengers, this is because it is just for show to make Ottawa appear more modern than it actually is, think of it like those fake apartments in North Korea along the South Korean border.
Are they deisel electric? I don't see any overhead electric lines.
They're just diesel, not diesel-electric. Look up Alstom Coradia LINT 41 if you're interested.
@@hone9519 They will be replaced with diesel electric, but so far they're still diesel.
Does Canada have more care for electric trains? Then the u.s. using diesel trains?
Reece Martin ok
0:00 what’s the intro song @reece martin
@@b_dog9 ok
Electric trains don't pollute, so you can run them through a tunnel without having to deal with exhaust. The Trillium line only goes through one tunnel, which is relatively short and closed off to everything but the train.
Wizard Suth ok
Did that lady miss her transfer at Bayview? 😢 00:55
I Hope they would build Line 3 (Gold Line) and Line 4 (Sapphire Line) Even though we have Line 1 (Ruby Line) and Line 2 (Emerald Line)
This is obviously better than Line 1, but they closed it for 2 years.
I don’t know that I’d call it obviously better
Why aren't trains like this circulating all over dense or semi-dense populated areas in Canada and the U.S.? They can use the existing rail network, all needed are platforms.
In europe a lot of these are already old fasion
Two years later and their getting stadler flirts
A Diesel People Mover
Why gas? Why they did not do that like in High Tatras light rails or Alpine light railways, or like in any other cities tram systems ? it is just one upper cable ..
@@RMTransit I am from Slovakia. It is possible to build it. Today it isnt science to do upper cable, and it is not not that much expensive... Nobody can convince me, that it's expensive. Especially for Canadian town. In a result, it's cheaper to operate and I'm not talking about air quality..
The Trillium line was built using an existing track. All they had to do initially was ensure the tracks, bridge, and tunnel were in good shape, double the track at Carleton, and build the platforms and maintenance yard. Adding the infrastructure needed for a catenary line would have greatly increased the cost. "Just one upper cable" would have required hundreds of supports.
Supercapacitors
Straight in 2012 or 2015 at least the line 2 actually useful but but now down right decrepit in 4 years because of the line 1
The Trillium line is now more useful than before because it connects to the Confederation line. They run at right angles, so neither makes the other redundant.
Does anybody else think it's a joke that this isn't being double-tracked for Phase 2?
@@RMTransit Why not all of it?
Widening the tunnel under Dows Lake and the cut through solid rock north of the tunnel is prohibitively expensive.