Ottawa Light Rail Committee Receives Stage 2 Construction Update

Track installation on Ottawa’s O-Train East Extension project began in April of 2022.

The City of Ottawa’s Light Rail Sub-Committee has received a detailed update on Stage 2 construction activities as work continues to extend the O-Train network farther south, east and west.

The O-Train south extension will see the completion of station construction, rail installation, and the start of full-line testing. Rail and the overhead catenary system will be installed on the east extension, enabling vehicle testing by late 2023. Rail installation on the west extension will commence, while work on the cut-and-cover tunnel will continue, a release said. 

The March 29 update included schedule predictions for the following extensions:

• South extension completion: Fall 2023
• East extension completion: Early 2025
• West extension completion: Late 2026

The sub-committee was also given an overview of the delegated authority granted by council to the city manager and senior city management in relation to the Stage 1 and 2 light-rail project agreements to ensure operational decisions were made within a reasonable timeframe, a release said. 

After the projects were approved by the council, the reports detailed project-specific delegated authorities with clear terms and conditions. Employees have reported on their use in compliance with these terms and conditions on a regular basis, and information has been supplemented through different channels, a release said. 

Improving reporting to council on delegated authority is part of the action plan to meet the recommendations of the LRT public inquiry.