More than 68k trips taken in first week of Line 2 & 4 O-Train service

An Alstom LINT train arrives at Airport Station at the Ottawa International Airport on Monday. The new O-Train Line 4 runs between South Keys station and the Ottawa Airport. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo says more than 68,000 trips have been taken on the new O-Train lines since they launched on Monday.

O-Train Line 2 and Line 4 officially launched Monday morning, more than two years behind schedule. The north-south train line brings commuters from Line 1's Bayview Station west of downtown to Limebank Station in Riverside South, with stops at Dow's Lake, South Keys and Carleton University, among others. Line 4 is a short link from South Keys Station to the Ottawa airport.

In a memo to city council and the media, Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar said the first day of service saw 20,700 trips between 6 a.m. and midnight. There were 17,500 trips on Tuesday, 16,200 on Wednesday, and 13,700 on Thursday. Approximately 400 trips per day were on Line 4.

"We are encouraged by these early results and customers' interest in trying the new train service. There remains plenty of capacity for ridership growth, and we look forward to welcoming more customers to Lines 2 and 4 as we proceed through the phased opening," Amilcar wrote.

Park and Ride lots were also busy, Amilcar said.

"Additionally, the three Park and Ride lots at Greenboro, Leitrim and Bowesville have been well used this week. Greenboro was the busiest with approximately 50 per cent of the spaces used on average on a daily basis. While we are happy to see the Park and Ride lots being utilized this week, there remains a large amount of capacity at each lot to support growth."

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe congratulated OC Transpo on a successful first week of service.

"Congratulations to the team at OC Transpo on a successful first phase of the implementation of the new Trillium LRT line. I've heard very positive feedback from residents," he said on social media. "There are still a few hurdles to cross before full seven-day service is in place, but I'm pleased that the rigorous and open testing process has led to a strong and reliable first week of service."

Line 2 also has a crossing with a freight train line. Amilcar said staff worked with CN to facilitate a safe crossing on Wednesday.

"This week, we worked in close coordination with CN to allow freight trains to cross Line 2 between Greenboro and Walkley Stations on Wednesday. This coordination is important to allow CN freight trains to access CN’s rail yard and to local businesses who rely on freight rail service," she said.

Service on Line 2 and 4 will run only on weekdays for at least the first two weeks of operation. It will then add Saturday service for another minimum of two weeks before eventually moving to a seven-day schedule.

"We continue to monitor all aspects of Line 2 and Line 4 operations and to assess our readiness to expand service to the next phase of opening when we will add Saturday service. We will keep you informed as we progress through each phase and prepare to expand service," Amilcar said.