O-Train Lines 2 and 4 expanding to 7-day service starting March 16

A train crosses the Rideau River near Carleton University on Ottawa’s new O-Train Line 2 on Saturday, Feb. 1. (Andrew Adlington/CTV News Ottawa)

The southern and airport extensions of Ottawa’s light rail transit system will be operational seven days a week starting this Sunday.

O-Train Lines 2 and 4 have undergone a gradual, phased opening since launching in January, starting with service only on weekdays. Service on Saturdays was added in late January, but the line has remained closed on Sundays.

The original plan was to start seven-day service approximately two weeks after six-day service had started, but OC Transpo said there were some lingering issues to rectify before the trains could run all week long.

The biggest issue was a shortage of train operators. Councillors were told in February that OC Transpo was short 23 operators.

In a memo Monday, Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar said the system is now ready to accept passengers every day.

“Since service was expanded to six days a week, significant progress has been made by OC Transpo and TransitNext on all system elements,” Amilcar wrote.

Examples include continuing to increase and stabilize staffing levels, installing temporary upgrades to switch infrastructure to increase reliability during winter weather, and continuing to improve the reliability of the customer information systems, like the next stop announcement and next departure times for trains.

The schedule for Lines 2 and 4 will look like this:

Monday–Friday: 6 a.m.–midnight

Saturday: 6:30 a.m.–midnight

Sunday: 7:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.

Parallel B2 bus service will continue until March 29. Route 97 will continue with no changes until April 27, when the New Ways to Bus network is implemented. Route 99 will be adjusted to serve Limebank Station on all trips, seven days a week, Amilcar said.