OTTAWA WELCOMES THE CONFEDERATION LINE After delays and increasing political frustration, Ottawa’s first electrified light rail line is finally open – marking a new chapter for this Canadian transit pioneer. Vic Simons reports. aturday 14 September 2019 saw Mulroney said: “Ottawa residents deserve a passenger operations would be unachievable, the introduction of Ottawa’s latest world-class transportation system that gets by late 2016 enough track and overhead light rail service to the public – it both them and the economy moving… had been completed to allow LRV testing. was a day that many in the city had Today, that’s exactly what they are getting.” Coupled to infrastructure delays, the coming waited a long time for. winter months saw a number of problems SAlthough the city’s bus-served Transitways Approvals and delays identified with the chosen Alstom rolling have performed a valuable service for over 30 Approved by the city in late 2012, the current stock – a new ‘European-style’ low-floor years, planning for a more robust solution for CAD2.1bn (EUR1.5bn) east-west scheme was platform for the North American market, cross-city travel dates back to the early years originally scheduled to open to coincide with albeit based on a proven design – in the of the 21st Century. Indeed, a north-south the 150th anniversary of Canada becoming an form of heating and communications light rail route was designed, and contracts independent nation in 2017. This is reflected systems failures and carbody and brake awarded, in 2006. This project would have in the choice of the Confederation Line system issues. seen the diesel-operated Trillium light rail name. Funding was split between the Federal As successive 2018 deadlines came and service to the south of the city converted to a Government (CAD600m/EUR466m), the went, the situation reached a head in the double-track electrified line that would have Province of Ontario (CAD600m), and local summer of 2019 when frustrations between reached west from the University of Ottawa funding by the City of Ottawa (CAD930m/ the City and the consortium building the to Bayview before heading south to Leitrim EUR722m). line saw Mayor Watson formally summon and further west to Barrhaven. A change Following formal political approval, the heads of both the RTG and Alstom to in municipal council had seen this project in February 2013 the City signed a deal an urgent meeting to give some certainty cancelled in December 2006. with the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) to to the citizens as to a confirmed handover The official opening at 14.00 followed an design, build, finance and maintain the date. Following that meeting operator earlier inauguration by Jim Watson, Mayor of 12.5km (7.8-mile) light rail line under a OCTranspo – a discrete operating division of Ottawa, at the new Tunney’s Pasture western 30-year Public-Private Partnership. RTG is a the City – was given greater oversight of the terminus, attended by around 400 invited consortium of 15 domestic and international project, which was subsequently delivered guests and a large press contingent. Amongst design, construction and engineering within three months. OCTranspo explained the speakers at this event was Ontario Minister partners that includes SNC-Lavalin, EllisDon, that this critical decision was needed to of Transportation Caroline Mulroney, Dragados, ACS Infrastructure and Alstom. pull together “all the strands of project daughter of former Canadian Premier John Although it became apparent relatively management so that all parties were singing Mulroney. Praising the new system, Ms early in the project that the 2017 deadline for from the same hymn sheet”. 450 / DECEMBER 2019 www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org Ottawa FAR LEFT: A view from the Confederation Line’s Bayview station on 14 September with the Ottawa skyline in the background. A . Grahl LEFT: Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney pose with the commemorative plaque at the opening ceremony at Tunney’s Pasture. A. Grahl Tremblay station allows connections to Ottawa’s main VIA Rail station; a new pedestrian bridge also makes Tremblay convenient for the city’s baseball stadium. A. Grahl OTTAWA WELCOMES THE CONFEDERATION LINE Speaking to TAUT the day after the the planned Revenue Service Availability From BRT to LRT opening, OCTranspo General Manager (RSA) date of 16 August. Before proceeding, a little background is John Manconi expanded a little on the He went on to give an opinion on the perhaps necessary. Ottawa is the Federal contractual difficulties and the estimated structure of the PPP with RTG, saying that Capital of Canada, and whilst located within costs of the delays. He explained that he would like to see this refined in future the Province of Ontario, it lies just across the City has withheld a total of CAD59m agreements and that risk should only be the Ottawa River from the Quebec city of (EUR42.6m) from RTG for late delivery transferred to the contractor if it is in a Gatineau and thus forms a cross-boundary of the infrastructure and vehicles. This position to control that risk.Passing on conurbation of almost 1.5 million residents includes CAD30m (EUR20.7m) for the non-controllable risks leads to massive known as the National Capital Region. mobility element of the contract, CAD28m contingency provisions that may be Founded in 1826 as Bytown, it was (EUR19.3m) in “respect of project deficiencies unnecessary, he said, which inevitably leads renamed to Ottawa in 1855 at the same and other contractual matters” and a to higher bids. He said that such an evolution time as its incorporation as a city. The new CAD1m penalty (EUR690 000) for missing could be called “P3.5”. name originated from the native Algonquin Indians, indigenous residents of the area. Although not the largest conurbation in Ontario, that honour going to Toronto, the city was designated the nation’s capital by Queen Victoria in 1857. As with many Canadian cities, Ottawa has a climate of extremes, with cold snowy winters and warm humid summers – as an example, 2018 saw temperatures as low as -25°C in January and 35°C in July. Streetcar service first came to the city in 1891, running for more than 60 years before succumbing to motor bus replacement in May 1959; at its greatest extent there were more than 100 streetcars and a network of lines covering almost 50km (over 30 miles). A small fleet of trolleybuses was also operated in a relatively short-lived trial from 1951 to 1959, before being sold to other cities in Ontario, principally Hamilton Rideau is one of three underground stations. It is also the deepest, with platforms 26.5m below the city. A. Grahl and Toronto. www.tautonline.com . www.lrta.org DECEMBER 2019 / 451 Ottawa Public transport was privately-operated 1970s concluded that the region – for of up to 70km/h (43.5mph) outside the city’s until 1948 when this function came under the moment at least – had too small a core. They have a similar appearance to the auspices of the Ottawa Transportation population to justify a light rail or streetcar fixed-rail services, with stations that include Commission (OTC) that had taken over the revival. Thus it was that a 1981 study seating, timetable information and ticket Ottawa Electric Railway Company. Over the recommended a series of dedicated busways machines. The current ten-line network next decade, the OTC absorbed a number of that would eventually become the city’s extends across the river into Gatineau, and other private operators to become the sole famed Transitways. Ottawa was one of that particular route is also used by Gatineau’s transit provider and as the city expanded, this the first cities to adopt such segregated STO bus network that provides commuter agency morphed into the Ottawa Carleton alignments for buses (and emergency services into Ottawa. Interestingly, many of Regional Transit Commission – which vehicles), with the first opening in 1983. This the routes are operated by double-deck marketed itself as OC Transpo – in 1972. This concept has since become more commonly UK-built tri-axle Enviro 500 buses similar to was enlarged and became OCTranspo in 2000 known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and has those operating in the Toronto area. (note the difference in style). been adopted in many locations worldwide. Deemed a significant success story, Ottawa Many advocates proposed a return to rail- Many Transitways were grade-separated is often held up as a model for other cities based solutions, although studies from the from other traffic, allowing operating speeds considering BRT. Mr Manconi noted that Ottawa had the highest per capita transit LEFT: The head shunt ridership in North America, higher even than at Blair, with the elevated New York City. He also expressed pride in Transitway in the the capital’s continued innovation in public background where Stage 2 will extend eastwards. transport provision, becoming the first V. Simons North American city to convert a BRT route to light rail. Below LEFT: The main Transitway through downtown Double-deck Enviro 500 Ottawa used the Albert and Slater east–west buses that serve Ottawa’s one-way system, with dedicated bus lanes Transitways at the city’s but without physical segregation. This storage facility. V. Simons sharing of the highway with other road vehicles led to significant delays during peak BELOW: The interior of periods. In addition, this particular busway a Confederation Line Citadis Spirit just before had reached capacity and was becoming the public opening on worn out, being used by up to 10 500 14 September. V. Simons passengers/hour in the peak. These considerations led to the 2012 approval of a new light rail line to replace the main east–west Central Transitway, taking over much of the dedicated alignment but with the crucial addition of a 2.5km (1.6-mile) underground section beneath the city centre.