Testing begins on LRT east extension to Orléans

Eventually, the train will travel all the way to Trim with stations at Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard, Convent Glen and Place d’Orléans.

Published Feb 26, 2024 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 1 minute read

A double-car LRT train is seen here in a file photo from May 2022. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

It didn’t break any speed records, but Ottawa’s LRT is finally on its way to Orléans.

The first test run of a train along a portion of the 12.5-kilometre eastward extension of the Confederation Line occurred Sunday night, with a train travelling one stop from Blair Station to Montreal Road, said Mike Morgan, director of the LRT construction, in a memo to the mayor and members of council on Monday.

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That’s about three weeks later than had been forecast in the last update on construction given in December.

The Alstom Citadis Spirit train crept east from Blair to Montreal Road while crews walked beside to make sure the train’s pantograph, the flexible arm that connects it to the overhead power lines, functioned properly. The testing occurred after regular Confederation Line service stopped for the night.

More testing will continue this week, Morgan said.

“Testing of the signal and train control system is expected to start this spring, after which residents will see regular, slow speed testing of trains on the line,” Morgan’s memo said.

A more detailed update on the construction schedule is expected Thursday when the city’s light-rail sub-committee meets.

Eventually, the train will travel all the way to Trim with stations at Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard, Convent Glen and Place d’Orléans.

In December, Morgan told the committee the first test runs on the eastward extension were expected at the end of January, with revenue service expected in late spring 2025.

The westward extension to Algonquin College and Moodie Drive isn’t expected to be complete until late 2026, according to the December update.

Meanwhile, the Trillium Line linking Bayview Station to Limebank with a spur to Ottawa airport is still expected to begin service in the spring, Transit General Manager Renée Amilcar told reports last week.

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