Infrastructure Overview
In January 2010, the Ottawa City Council endorsed the functional design of the Confederation Line light rail transit system, which is designed to meet or exceed the strictest standards of safety, sustainability, energy efficiency, passenger convenience, and accessibility.
Construction of the Confederation Line began on April 19, 2013, and the line opened on September 14, 2019.
The O-Train Line 1 Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) is on Belfast Road in the Trainyards area of the City of Ottawa. The Stage 2 Light Maintenance and Storage Facility (LMSF) is adjacent to Highway 417 between Moodie and Eagleson, approaching Kanata.
Track
Tracks are critical to light rail transit infrastructure because they support trains moving people across a city.
The consortium built the O-Train Line 1 (OTL1) tracks to be resilient; however, train traffic, vibrations, environmental factors, and everyday wear and tear significantly impact the tracks. These impacts can lead to noisier and bumpier rides for riders and deterioration of this rail infrastructure. We establish and implement seasonal maintenance programs to conserve and ensure optimal track conditions and prevent premature rail degradation.
Rideau Transit Maintenance preservation of OTL1 tracks includes but is not limited to rail inspections, rail replacement and grinding, and rehabilitative ballast activities like ballast injection and tamping.
Stations
Our facilities maintenance team and sub-contractors’ complete seasonal maintenance in the O-Train Line 1 (OTL1) stations. This team of hard workers is responsible for preventative and corrective maintenance, service calls, emergency response, and the troubleshooting and repair of facility equipment and systems. They work in shifts 24/7, 365 days a year and are also responsible for keeping detailed records of all actions they take to keep the facilities safe and clean for our riders.
Peter Busby, a well-respected architect, designed the 13 stations of the OTL1. The station designs were optimized for the shorter light rail vehicles and platform lengths. The stations are user-friendly, display unique architecture while being integrated into each community, and are designed to standards like other light rail transit systems across Canada. All the stations were designed to be open-concept, well-lit, and easy to navigate.
All OTL1 stations boast artwork created by 12 local Algonquin artists and artist teams, the winners of an open competition run by OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa. In addition, the City of Ottawa’s Public Art Program commissioned seven permanent, stand-alone artworks for six themed stations. These themed stations are in the downtown core of Ottawa – Bayview, Pimisi, Lyon, Rideau, and Parliament stations. There are also two commissioned pieces for uOttawa and Pimisi stations, created by Algonquin artists in collaboration with nearby Algonquin Anishinaabe communities.
Maintenance and Storage Facility
Critical elements of the Confederation Line are housed at the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF). At our Belfast Yard MSF, various maintenance activities are carried out, from cleaning vehicles and parts to replacing significant components. Dedicated teams work to preserve the mechanical and electrical systems that tend, repair, and maintain the light rail vehicles (LRVs), such as sanding, lifting jacks, train wash, wheel lathe, overhead catenary system, and fire safety systems. Most, if not all, janitorial functions that focus on preventative and reactionary maintenance are warehoused at our MSF.
In 2019, the Confederation Line MSF building on Belfast Road achieved LEED Certification, which is commemorated in a plaque in the MSF’s entry lobby. This certification was completed by meeting the prerequisites of construction activity pollution prevention, water use reduction, fundamental commissioning, minimum energy performance, fundamental refrigeration management, storage and collection of recyclables, minimum Indoor Air Quality performance, and environmental tobacco smoke control.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED®, is an international symbol of sustainability excellence and green building leadership. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a project is designed, built, or operated to achieve high performance in six human and environmental health areas. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points for green building strategies across several categories. Based on the number of points achieved, a project makes one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
Overhead Catenary System
O-Train Line 1 is powered by electricity and is available at all stations and in the Belfast Yard. The trains are 100% electric vehicles powered by an electric catenary system.
Our trains get power through the catenary system with overhead wiring called an overhead catenary system (OCS). The O-Train Line vehicles use alternating current (AC). A pantograph device is mounted onto the roof of Confederation Line trains to contact the overhead wiring, causing friction to collect electricity. The catenary wire feeds the electricity to the train via the pantograph.
Vehicles
Alstom has a global reputation for building and selling quality products. Alstom light rail vehicles (LRVs) present a significant part of the Confederation Line light rail transit (LRT) system.
The City of Ottawa chose the Citadis Spirit, part of Alstom’s proven Citadis light rail vehicle platform. More than 2,400 are in service in more than 50 cities in 20 countries, transporting over 10 billion passengers globally, an average of 4 million per day. The Citadis Spirit will also be used on the Metrolinx Finch West Light Rail Transit Line and the Hazel McCallion Line (Hurontario).
Each two-car train (O-Train) can accommodate 240 seated and 360 standing passengers and has 14 fully accessible doors for quick and easy boarding. All trains have designated cooperative seating spaces for customers using assistive or mobility devices, bilingual audio announcements, onboard visual displays, slip-resistant and low-glare floors, door controls and intercoms at accessible heights, and audio-toned signals for doors opening and closing.
The Citadis Spirit provides both urban and suburban service within and to and from the Ottawa city core. It can reach up to 100km/h and carry more than 600 passengers per train.
The Citadis Spirit is North America’s only 100% low-floor light rail vehicle, ensuring accessibility and onboard passenger circulation, including those passengers with reduced mobility.
The Citadis Spirit is manufactured in Ontario and maintained in Ottawa, which provides long-term skilled jobs for the city.
Key Systems
Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) System
SelTrac™ CBTC is the Confederation Line’s state-of-the-art railway traffic control system, used to optimize system capacity on the railway. This is achieved by continuously monitoring the location, speed, and direction of all trains operating on the guideway to reduce the time interval between them.
SelTrac™ CBTC can control the behaviour of the train at all times. It uses the telecommunication between the Confederation Line’s trains and track equipment for safe and efficient railway traffic management.
Control Centre Function
Manages the overall CBTC system and is responsible for Automatic Train Supervision.
Communication System
Location: A radio-based communication system with infrastructure is embedded in the train cabs, guideway, stations, and Belfast Yard.
Function: Provides a network between the train and all sub-systems, allowing them to communicate.
On-board Controller
Location: The train cab.
Function: Supervises the speed and automatically controls the train.
Transponder
Location: Intervals along the track.
Function: Antenna “reads” tags to establish the train’s position.
