Further to the memo issued Monday, July 22 to Members of Council and the Transit Commission indicating that the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) had submitted a notice for Substantial Completion, the purpose of this memorandum is to advise that both the City and the Independent Certifier are in agreement that RTG has met all the conditions associated with Substantial Completion.

This important milestone signifies that the O-Train Confederation Line project has advanced to the point where construction and testing is effectively complete. This applies to all fixed components (stations, rail, etc.) and vehicles, and means that there is no restriction on the City's public use of the system.

Now that Substantial Completion has been confirmed by the Independent Certifier, RTG plans to begin Trial Running the week of July 29.

As a reminder, the objective of this important next step is to complete 12 consecutive days of regularly scheduled service and to confirm system readiness for passenger service by exercising the Confederation Line system at full functionality.

On occasions during Trial Running, the public may not see trains running on the Confederation Line. This is normal as there are many different systems being tested at different times throughout this period.

Source : City of Ottawa

Overall

• Preparatory activities (borehole drilling, silt fence installation, site office mobilization, preconstruction surveys, etc.) are currently underway on each O-Train extension to facilitate the commencement of Stage 2 construction activities in 2019.

O-Train Trillium Line South Extension

• Uplands Structures Yard set up
  • Installation of fencing is now complete. Crews have commenced the installation of light posts and work trailers.
  • This yard will be used for the coordination of Airport Link construction activities.
• Laydown areas will be established within close proximity to the Trillium Line near Bowesville Road and Uplands Drive.
  • Site trailers have been set up and crews will begin to install temporary concrete barriers (TCBs) at each location.
  • TCB installation will take place at night to minimize impacts on local traffic.
• Borehole drilling is currently underway in the following locations:
  • South Keys Station
  • Along the alignment between Leitrim Road and South Keys Station
• Silt fence installation
  • Crews have almost completed the installation of 30,000 metres of silt fence along the perimeter of the Trillium Line O-Train south extension from Greenboro Station to terminus stations (Airport Station & Limebank Station).
  • To date, approximately 90% of the work has been completed.
• Stump pulling and grinding between Hunt Club Road and Limebank Road/Uplands Drive is now complete.
• Crews have started to strip lands (i.e. topsoil removal) between Uplands Drive and the mainline.
• Noise and Vibration monitoring
  • Baseline noise and vibration monitoring is taking place at properties near the Trillium Line alignment to ensure that construction and rail activities comply with applicable regulations and requirements
• Ongoing works at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
  • In coordination with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority (OMCIAA), crews are continuing to fence off Airport lands where work will occur.
• Preparatory works at Walkley MSF
  • Preliminary preparatory work such as survey control, clean up and fencing have commenced at the future site of the new Walkley Yard Maintenance and Storage Facility.
  • TransitNEXT will be coordinating with Capital Rail to leverage shutdown time for geotechnical investigations nearby Walkley MSF.

O-Train Confederation Line East Extension

• Borehole drilling is currently underway at the following locations:
  • Montreal Road & OR 174 Interchange
  • Montreal Flyover
  • Trim Road
  • OR 174 median lanes (night work) between Blair Road & Trim Road
• East day-to-day work yard set up
  • Crews will begin constructing a granular pad near Montreal Road and OR 174 to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard
  • Work has commenced to strip top soil and pave yard access points.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line East construction activities
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. They will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

O-Train Confederation Line West Extension

• Borehole drilling currently underway in the following locations:
  • Lincoln Fields Station
  • New Orchard Station
  • Between Pinecrest Station & Connaught Tunnel
  • Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway (near Churchill Avenue)
• Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway Cut and Cover Tunnel Preparatory Works
  • The Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Parkway is shifting north to accommodate the space required to construct a cut-and-cover tunnel between Dominion Station and Cleary Avenue
  • Crews have commenced preparatory activities to realign the SJAM by installing signage, fencing and temporary concrete barriers. Topsoil stripping will commence upon the completion of barrier installation.
  • From July to October 2019, Sir John A MacDonald Parkway will have off-peak lane reductions between Dominion Avenue and Cleary Avenue. Eastbound and Westbound traffic will be maintained at all times.
  • The City of Ottawa continues to coordinate with the NCC's Public Affairs Office to provide appropriate public notification (PVMS, resident notices, web updates, etc.)
  • Crews are targeting to have the east bound lanes completed by this fall and the west bound lanes complete by spring 2020
• West day-to-day work yard set up
  • Work has commenced to construct granular pad near Baseline Road and Navaho Drive/Transitway to support temporary modular trailer complex, parking spaces and a day-to-day yard.
  • This site will be used for the coordination of Confederation Line West construction activities.

• Building demolition
  • Building demolition is scheduled to occur in September 2019 within the project limits:
    • On the east side of Connaught Avenue between Severn Avenue and Hanlon Avenue (three houses)
    • On Richmond Road, east of Cleary Avenue (one strip mall).
• Pre-construction surveys
  • East-West Connectors (EWC) have retained DST Consulting Engineers to carry out a pre-construction survey of the homes and buildings located within close proximity to the project. As indicated in the east update, DST will be documenting properties to establish the existing conditions of the interior and exterior of buildings near the alignment, prior to construction.

The City of Ottawa released the following memo to media regarding the Trillium Line Service adjustments in relation to Trillium Line maintenance and highway 417 overpass replacement works.

Source : City of Ottawa

The committee received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project.

Committee receives proposed timeline for start of Confederation Line service. Progress is being made with fleet availability and testing of trains along the alignment. Rideau Transit Group is submitting a second substantial completion notice within the next 10 days and has proposed a revenue service availability date of August 16, 2019. If this date is achieved, the City expects the O-Train Confederation Line will open in September 2019. The City continues to monitor critical elements of the testing and commissioning program.

Here are some key points from today’s presentation. 

Substantial Completion

• RTG is submitting their Substantial Completion notice within the next 10 days;
• Contingent on the timing of receipt of Substantial Completion notice, the City expects to provide an opinion that RTG has achieved Substantial Completion; and,
• It is expected that the Independent Certifier will issue a Substantial Completion certificate shortly after the City provides a positive opinion on Substantial Completion.

Fleet Readiness:

‒ Alstom has met their commitment of completing the rail vehicles by July 7, 2019.

Train Control Systems:

‒ Updated Thales train control software deployed on the system on July 8, 2019; and,
‒ Minor final software upgrades and final safety certificate of software is expected to be completed on Friday July 12, 2019.

System Assurance:

‒ Safety certificates for Trial Running provided by RTG's systems assurance team.

Double Train Operation:

‒ Service level requirement of double car operation has been demonstrated with 10 double trains. RTG will be running 15 double trains during the week of July 15.

​​​

Source : City of Ottawa

The audio recording of the portion of the committee meeting dealing with the Confederation Line update.

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

This is a public notice to highlight construction that will take place for the East Extension for Stage 2 of the O-Train.

The Transit Commission received the following presentation on June 19, 2019.

The following is the accompanying news release:

The Transit Commission received a report regarding Customer Service Operational Readiness for the launch of O-Train Line 1, as well as a presentation on electric buses for OC Transpo's bus fleet.

The opening of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, will mark a historic transformation in the way transit service is delivered in Ottawa. The opening of Line 1 will require major changes to the bus route network, which will represent the largest service change ever for OC Transpo customers. OC Transpo staff are committed to ensuring that the customers are supported, prepared, comfortable and knowledgeable about the changes and the transition period in order to provide a positive end-to-end customer experience starting on day one. The presentation outlined the many activities, customer communications, and changes carried out by OC Transpo to be ready for light rail operations, including service changes to the bus network and at LRT stations.

In response to a motion from the Mayor at Council on June 12, 2019, staff presented a plan to introduce electric buses to the OC Transpo fleet. The Transit Commission gave direction to staff that the electric buses and required charging infrastructure be acquired through a tendering process to a maximum of $6 million.

Here are some key important points from the presentation:

• Minor changes before Confederation Line opens include the opening of the new Line 2 platform at Bayview Station, the complete reopening of the pedestrian walkway from Telsat to the Gloucester Centre and the relocation of bus routes at Hurdman and Tunney's Pasture.
  

• Once the Confederation Line opens, a parallel bus service (current bus service) will be maintained for 3 weeks to help passengers transition to the new O-Train line.
• The new bus route changes (affecting approximately 100 routes) will take place on the day immediately following the three weeks parallel service.

Confederation Line LRT Operational Readiness and Ready for Rail presentation

 Electric Buses presentation

Today, Mayor Jim Watson and senior city staff, met with the CEO of Alstom (Henri Poupart-Lafarge) and the CEO of Rideau Transit Group (Peter Lauch) to discuss the current status of the Confederation Line. 

After the meeting, the Mayor shared the good news that Alstom will have the trains completed by July 7th. RTG will then be able to handover the system to the city on the 2nd or 3rd week of August. Following this, OC Transpo will require approximately 4 weeks to finalize training and preparations before the line opens to passengers in September 2019.

The next Confederation Line update will take place at FEDCO on July 10th at 9:30am.

O-Train Fans have visited all 13 of the stations over the past 2 weeks now that they are all completed. We invite you to view our most recent snapshot updates and videos, in which you can discover all 13 stations and see plenty of trains in action.

Be sure to join us on the forums, where you can ask questions, share your latest train spottings and more.

Please find attached the O-Train Confederation Line Quarterly Memo to Council for Q1 – 2019.

The committee received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project. 

Project status:

• RTG and the city held a workshop to go over the deficiencies remaining that stand in the way of Substantial Completion.
• Both the RTG and City agree on the plan to achieve Substantial Completion. No grey zones in any points, everything is listed and clear to all involved.
• Fleet requires reliability with no major reliability or problems. Some minor issues can be tolerated. Currently the fleet is not ready for prime time usage.
• Issues with the LRV vehicles include problems with doors, coupled train operation, pantograph, brakes.
• RTG has asked for two additional weeks before they can give a new RSA date. Given all the factors, RTG will not achieve June 30th, due to ongoing vehicle issues. New date will be given later. 
• More experts coming in to assist Alstom in rectifying vehicle reliability.

• Steps moving forward : RTG needs to complete the 9 critical elements including vehicles. Once done, they can submit notice of Substantial Completion. 
• If Independent Certifier agrees, then 12 day trial running, mimicking revenue service. 
• If successful, Safety Certifier validates.
• Then RSA (revenue service availability) will have been achieved and the handover of the system to the city will take place.
• Fare freeze was until July 1st. Council asked to consider by June 12th if the fare freeze should be extended due to LRT delays until the train is open and operating.
• Delays of Stage 1 LRT is currently not affecting Stage 2 LRT construction or work. Things are moving forward now with Stage 2.

My take on the current situation:

RTG asked for a two-week extension (from May 31st) to provide a new RSA date. That would put it around June 14th, so perhaps news or some indication of the new RSA target will be disclosed sometime around then. The stations are completed, and the only work remaining is clean up, landscaping and related work, which doesn't sound essential for opening. It's the trains that are the last holdout. Lots of expertise is being brought in to get things on track as quickly as possible.

I do share in the disappointment of the delays. Obviously I am a big supporter of the line and eager to ride the rails, but obviously there are issues with the trains and they need to be rectified before it opens. Opening and having trains break down on the line causes service interruptions and service delays, so the city is right in not accepting it as it currently is. Having visited all the stations from the outside and peered in the glass windows to look around the insides, as well as seeing the trains testing and running along the line, the final product and service will definitely be worth the wait.

I would assume that every effort is being made to get things open as soon as possible but as it has been disclosed before, once the system is handed over to the city, they do need around 3-4 weeks before the service officially launches. At this point, an August opening or beginning of September could be possible, but nothing is for sure as long as the train issues continue. Hopefully once the new RSA date is disclosed, or with any luck over the coming few weeks, the bugs and malfunctions with the trains will be corrected and things will be able to move forward with the 12 day testing, certification, safety sign off and then the handover.

It's the closing stages of the first phase of the Confederation Line. I believe the end is in sight, we just have to be patient a little longer.

A question was asked on the forum about why the $1 million penalty wasn't applied. From the explaination today at FEDCO, the penalty wasn't applied this time as a new RSA date was not set after they missed March 31st. They had 60 days to disclose a new date but are now asking for a two week extension (which would put that at around June 14th or so). Once that date is set and should it be missed, at that point it sounds like they would be hit with the penalty.

Interestingly now that I think of it, back in March , during the FEDCO presentation, John Manconi (or someone else) stated that RTG had 60 days to disclose a new date, yet they informed the city that they wouldn't need the full 60 days. (Link here to go to the March FEDCO, and listen to audio starting at 20:25). Fast forward 60 days and still no date but an additional two week extension, after saying it wouldn't take 60 days. Two ways to look at that.... either

They (RTG) missed a soft deadline they themselves set of when they would disclose the new RSA date.

or

They (RTG) were too optimistic and didn't have any reason to believe there would be issues. Obviously the problems with the trains might have already been happening but they might have felt it was able to be controlled and fixed in a reasonable amount of time. Seems now the issues are more involved and are taking longer to sort out.

In regards to the Longstop date, 1 year after the original RSA date, whereby the city could terminate the contract and seek another group to complete the work, here are my thoughts...

If they dropped the RTG contract, the trains are built and manufactured by Alstom, so getting another manufacturer to come in would be difficult as they are not familiar with the technology and vehicles. Not to mention access to original parts and engineers. So to me, replacing Alstom would result in considerable delays if that was even a possible option. Really not sure about that one. It's like saying a Ford dealership is in a better position to fix your Subaru... Someone else coming in to take over could get things back on track, or it could make things infinitely longer, or worse, lead to even more issues.

Looking at Toronto's Rocket subway (Bombardier) and Montreal's Azur metros (Bombardier-Alstom), as well as Toronto's Bombardier Flexity streetcars, all of these projects had delays, issues and setbacks, but eventually hit the tracks. Sadly it would seem like Ottawa's Citadis Spirit trains will be no different, as the various issues get worked out. It's not ideal, it's not acceptable, but it has happened elsewhere.

Not a good situation for sure. Let's see what news comes out next week and hope that there's some indication on where this is all headed, timewise.

The audio recording of the portion of the committee meeting dealing with the Confederation Line update.

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

The City of Ottawa media relations has just shared the following memo with media.

The following memorandum is an update on the progress of the O-Train Confederation Line and the steps being taken towards Revenue Service Availability.

...there is general consensus on the work that is outstanding that needs to be completed in order to achieve Substantial Completion.

Memo to Mayor and Members of Council

It should be noted that the timelines and updates provided at the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) on May 10, 2019 are still current. Further updates will be provided at the next FEDCO meeting on June 4, 2019.

2

Memo to Mayor and Members of Council

The City of Ottawa media relations has just shared the following memo with media.

 The attached memorandum is an update on the progress of the O-Train Confederation Line and the steps being taken towards Revenue Service Availability.

The City has been reviewing the IC's determination and assessing the impacts of the determination on the overall program. Broadly, the IC agrees with the City's opinion that RTG has not achieved Substantial Completion and agrees that additional work is required. Despite this assessment, it is important to note that RTG has been continuing work on all areas in an effort toclose out issues throughout the Confederation Line system.

Memo to Mayor and Members of Council

The committee received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project. Progress has been made on fleet availability with a recent milestone of 20 trains running simultaneously across the alignment and occupancy permits issued for nine stations. 

Project status:

• RTG has submitted their Substantial Completion notice and relevant paperwork;
• City is reviewing as per the process spelled out in the Project Agreement;
• Followed by an assessment by the Independent Certifier;
• RTG continues to advise that the system will be handed over to the City in Q2 2019;
• Final close out and completion work continues; and,
• Testing and commissioning continues.

• All 34 LRV vehicles are completed, however some issues remain to be corrected and fixed. 
• All 13 stations have received their occupancy permits. Final cleanup is in progress. Most work remaining revolves around decals, stickers, signage, etc.
• RTG (Rideau Transit Group) has submitted paperwork for "Significant Completion" (Substantial Completion signifies that the project has advanced to the point where construction and testing is effectively complete). The city and certifier will now review and assess. If accepted, the 12 day test process can commence. 
• The certifier has until Monday at 4pm to report back the decision on whether or not RTG has achieved Significant Completion.
  3

The audio recording of the portion of the committee meeting dealing with the Confederation Line update.

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

• All 34 LRV vehicles have been built and entire fleet is undergoing testing.
• City has taken occupancy of 9 out of 13 stations. Still awaiting Rideau, Parliament, Lyon and St. Laurent.
• Testing has been completed with 20 LRV vehicles running simultaneously along the line.
• Stress testing of the bus loop at Tunney's Pasture occured this past Sunday and a similar test at Blair will occur in the not too distant future.
  

The presentation slideshow of the Confederation Line update.

Below is the video of the Bus Operational Test (Stress Test) that took place this past Sunday at Tunney's Pasture.

Below is a video of coupled train movements, primarily filmed around Pimisi Station and the surrounding areas.

Today at the City of Ottawa's Transportation meeting, more details concerning the Confederation Line's Operational Readiness were shared. The complete presentation and the accompanying video are attached below for your review and viewing.

As the date to service launch nears, details were made available in regards to the usage of the line.

Most importantly is that the existing bus service will continue for three weeks after the launch of the LRT. This will be a transition period to allow people to gradually migrate to the LRT before the bus routes are changed and existing bus service ends.

Below is a summary of the major points that were presented:

Customers can connect with Line 1 by:

• Bus at 10 of 13 Line 1 stations;
• O-Train Line 2 at Bayview Station; and,
• Walking, mobility device, and bike, via local streets and many multi-use pathways.

• Bus routes numbered 5 to 99 and Connexion routes numbered in the 200s will all connect to Line 1; and,
• •Destination names will be clearly marked at all bus stops – and most destinations will be a Line 1 station.

Customers from:

• Orléans will transfer at Blair Station;
• Alta Vista, Greenboro, Vanier, etc. will transfer at St-Laurent Station or Hurdman Station; and,
• Stittsville, Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean will transfer at Tunney's Pasture Station.
• O-Train Lines 1 and 2 will connect at Bayview Station.

Connecting by Bus :

• Integrated bus loops and fare-paid zones at three major stations will allow quick and easy connections;
• Arrival bus stops are located near to station entrances to minimize walking distances;

Hours of Operation and Frequency:

• Monday - Thursday : 5am-1am
• Friday : 5am-2am
• Saturday : 6am-2am
• Sunday : 8am-11pm

• Trains arrive at every station every 5 minutes or less at peak times;
• Service is frequent all day, and every 15 minutes or better after 11 p.m.;
• Travel time end-to-end will be under 25 minutes

Source : City of Ottawa

Photo : O-Train Fans

Elements Being Monitored That Are Critical To Revenue Service Availability 

1. Fleet availability for service requirements; 
2. Station occupancy for all stations need to be completed; 
3. Tunnel Ventilation System (TVS) tests; 
4. Testing of the train control system; 
5. Final tests of monitoring and control systems for transit operations; 
6. Final tests of the power system to the alignment and trains completed; 
7. RTG's system assurance – sign-off is to be provided on all documents required by the City's Safety Auditor; 
8. End-to-End Practice Plan Running demonstrates system capability; and, 
9. Winter Operations (new).​

• St. Laurent, Parliament, Rideau and Tunney's Pasture.

In order to achieve RSA and handover to the City, RTG is required to demonstrate compliance with a series of deliverables including but not limited to the following: 

• All systems assurance (safety) documentation; 
• All project construction and site work completed; 
• All testing and commissioning completed including a Trial Running performance test for 12 consecutive days; 
• Compliance with all safety requirements as approved by the City's Safety Auditor; and, 
• Operational readiness on all fronts including maintenance.​

An interactive 360-degree walkthrough of the Light Rail Vehicles was released today by OC Transpo. You can see it here: http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/new_vehicles#train360

City of Ottawa - Press Release

The Committee received a status update on the O-Train Confederation Line project. City staff provided the following project updates: major progress has been made on fleet availability, and station and tunnel occupancy permitting. System assurance testing continues, while the vehicle testing and commissioning activities are progressing well. The Committee was informed that Rideau Transit Group (RTG) has advised the City it will not meet the milestone requirements to enable a March 31 Revenue Service Availability (RSA) date. Further updates on a new RSA date will be provided as they become available.

Source : City of Ottawa

With last weeks news that brought much detail to the next phase of Ottawa's O-Train LRT network, O-Train Fans will be compiling and bringing you new information on the future stations that will be constructed.

From Trim to Montreal in the East, Westboro to Baseline and Moodie in the West, and Limebank and the Airport in the South.

Concept photos of the new stations as well as the description of the stations provided by the City of Ottawa are now available on O-Train Fans.

Be sure to check back and visit the Stations section of the site to learn more as more information develops and becomes available. Of course, once construction commences, we will begin doing Snapshot updates as before of these new stations.

Stay tuned to O-Train Fans. The launch of the Confederation Line is only months away, and we promise to have complete station profiles and photos available in the weeks following the opening!

I would also like to remind all of our site visitors, if you ever have any questions, have information you would like to share, spot trains testing, take some great photos or anything else O-Train related, we invite you to register and join the discussion on our forums : www.railfans.ca/forum

City Council received today an update on the progress of the Confederation Line, moving towards Revenue Service Availability.

The stations are virtually all completed and are mostly only in need of finishing (public art installation and landscaping). Full occupancy certification should be received in the near future. 

RTG is still working to make all trains (34) available, and once they are, the 12 days of continuous simulated service testing will commence).

Below is the presentation that was shown at the FEDCO meeting today, complete with lots of photos of the stations, in particular, the underground downtown stations.

Here are some important points taken from the presentation to keep in mind:

Revenue Service Availability Contractual Requirements

In order to achieve RSA and handover to the City, RTG is required to demonstrate compliance with a series of deliverables including but not limited to the following:

• •All systems assurance (safety) documentation;
• •All project construction and site work completed;
  
• •All testing and commissioning completed including a Trial Running performance test for 12 consecutive days;
• •Compliance with all safety requirements as approved by the City's Safety Auditor; and,
• •Operational readiness on all fronts including maintenance.

Next Steps Toward RSA

• •Monitor all critical elements to ensure Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) is ready to maintain the system;
• •Continue OC Transpo's Operational Readiness Program;
• •Planning for RSA –schedules, workforce adjustment, route changes, booking logistics, etc.;
• •Continue to provide oversight of RTG; and,
• •Ready for Rail campaign.

Audio Recording of the February 12, 2019 FEDCO meeting. The start and end have been edited to only consist of the Confederation Line update for ease of listening.

The City of Ottawa has just released to media the following memo in regards to the Confederation Line - Revenue Service Availability date.

RTG states that the Works Schedule will reflect achievement of Revenue Service Availability on or before March 31, 2019.

You can read the two documents that were distributed below for more details.

The two major points are:

1. RTG has advised the City that it will achieve RSA on or before March 31, 2019. Staff will continue to monitor RTG's progress against their RSA date.
2. The RSA date is not the date that service is launched to passengers. It is expected that Confederation Line service would be launched within one month of achieving the RSA date.

Source : City of Ottawa

DATE : January 3, 2019

As part of the ongoing commitment to keep Council apprised of the progress of the O-Train Confederation Line project, the purpose of this memorandum is to advise the Mayor and Members of Council that Rideau Transit Group (RTG) has provided a new Revenue Service Availability (RSA) date, as per their agreement with the City of Ottawa.

As per the attached documentation, RTG has advised the City that it will achieve RSA on or before March 31, 2019. Staff will continue to monitor RTG's progress against their RSA date.

The Project Agreement (PA) lays out a number of requirements that RTG must complete to achieve the RSA date. This includes completion of all required works, including:

• All civil work;
• All mechanical and electrical systems;
• Delivery of all light rail vehicles;
• All customer facing elements, signage, next train announcements, public announcement system, wayfinding, etc;
• Commissioning and overall system performance verification and integration testing;
• Safety certification of the integrated system;
• Independent Safety Auditor compliance; and
• Successful trial running, which demonstrates performance compliance. 

Note that the RSA date is not the date that service is launched to passengers. Following RSA and handover to the City, staff will need to undertake the operational readiness activities required to ensure that the Confederation Line seamlessly integrates into the OC Transpo network prior to opening day, including additional City-led system practice, simulated system operations and staff training. 

It is expected that Confederation Line service would be launched within one month of achieving the RSA date. 

The City's priority remains to provide Ottawa with a safe, reliable and world-class transit system and to protect the interests of Ottawa residents and transit users.

Finance and Economic Development Committee members were briefed today on the progress of construction of the Confederation Line. The above video was released, featuring a ride on a train from end to end (Blair to Tunney's Pasture).

City staff provided a project update with respect to key milestones achieved, notably concerning testing and commissioning. Trains are running in test mode from Tunney's Pasture to Blair stations and have successfully completed tests to confirm end-to-end travel times. East end stations (uOttawa, Lees, Hurdman, Tremblay, St-Laurent, Cyrville, Blair) are nearing completion.

Across the system, fare gates and fare-vending machines are being installed, and testing and commissioning is underway. The City continues to prepare for the opening of the Confederation Line, including completing an emergency training exercise for first responders in the tunnel, simulation of peak period bus-to-rail operations at Hurdman Station and ongoing training of rail operators, maintenance and controller staff.

A new date has not been set however they are still saying Q1 2019. Mayor Jim Watson has also tweeted that the line would be open by end of March 2019. Important to note that in the contract, RTG have 60 days from the last deadline of November 2nd to set a new Revenue Service Availability date. This places it by January 2nd. They also must give 30 days notice before the RSA date (in other words, they can't announce on November 29 for example that the new RSA is November 30th). With these facts in mind, we should know a new RSA date by January 2nd or earlier. The city has also said that they would need approximately 10 days after RSA to complete training and their own testing and preparation before the public can ride.

Here are some key points from the briefing:

Key Milestones

• Trains are running in test mode from Tunney's Pasture to Blair Stations;
• Successfully completed the Tunney's Pasture to Blair Station Line Speed test:
  • Confirms end-to-end travel time is achievable;
  • Confirms station dwell times (doors open/close at stations);
  • Achieved top speed of 83 km/hr; and,
  • Full CBTC mode (Automatic Train Mode).
• East end stations (uOttawa, Lees, Hurdman, Tremblay, St-Laurent, Cyrville, Blair) are all substantially complete; Occupancy Permit inspections are nearing completion;
• All fare gates and fare vending machines have been installed. Testing & Commissioning is underway;
• SCADA software installed in Transit Operations Control Room with Testing & Commissioning underway;
• RTG is planning to commence a system-wide Practice Plan in November. This will involve the system fleet running from Tunney's to Blair;
• Successfully completed train handover testing for deploying trains from MSF to main line.This demonstrates train launching manoeuvers for morning service deployment.

​Source : City of Ottawa

The Kanata Symphony is hosting an upcoming afternoon concert with some great steam-train-inspired classical music by Strauss and others. Adults $15, Students $10. Children 12 and under are free. 

​"The O-Train Ball"

Sunday, November 18, 2018, 3:00pm
Woodroffe United Church
207 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa
featuring Viennese Ballroom music by H.C. Lumbye and all 3 Strauss brothers

"Vergnügungszug" (Luxury Train Fast Polka),Op281 by Johann Strauss Jr
"Mit Dampf" (At Full Steam) by Eduard Strauss
"Banditen Galopp" (Bandit's Galop) by Strauss Jr
"Pizzicato Polka" by Johann Jr and Josef Strauss
"Invitation to the Dance" by Webber
"Bahn Frei" by Eduard Strauss
"Tales of the Vienna Woods" by Strauss Jr
"Valse" from Act2 - Faust by Gounod
"Copenhagen Steam train Galop" by Lumbye
"Champagne Galop" by Lumbye

The city has graciously provided some O-Train freebies for the kids like cardboard cutouts, tattoos, etc. There will also be a few special guests.

If you'd like some more information, please send an email to concertinfo@kanatasymphony.ca

​The city today shared with media the following memo on the Revenue Service Availability date.

----

November 2, 2018

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarification on the liquidated damages associated with the Required Revenue Service Availability (RSA) Date of the Confederation Line light rail transit project.

Rideau Transit Group (RTG) advised that it would achieve RSA by November 2, 2018. RTG missed the May 24, 2018 date and has now missed its commitment to achieve RSA by November 2, 2018.

As you may recall, at the September 10, 2018 meeting of the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO), staff outlined that the City would be in a position to deduct the $1M in liquidated damages from the next payment to RTG. The City intends to levy Liquidated Damages in the amount of $1M on the next payment to RTG, which will be when it achieves Substantial Completion.

A further update on the Confederation Line will be provided at the FEDCO meeting of November 14, 2018.

​Source : City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa today released a memo the city council received that details current progress on the O-Train Confederation Line construction. You can consult it below. The memo also features some pictures, to illustrate the progress made in the downtown stations in the past month.

Important notes from the memo are as follows:

• Major milestone reached on September 11, 2018 when a train completed the first end-to-end run by traveling between Tunney's Pasture to Blair Station.
• Train movement and testing has begun in the downtown tunnel.
• Automatic Train Operation is operating and in use on the eastern track. Expanding to the western tracks and tunnel sections soon.
• The city continues to monitor and track the project but there is currently no change from the update provided at FEDCO on September 10, 2018. As a result, no update to the Revenue Service Availability Date at this time.

Today at the Ottawa Finance and Economic Development Committee meeting (FEDCO), John Manconi (General Manager of OC Transpo) delivered an update to the Confederation Line construction.

The RSA (Revenue Service Availability date, the date that the Rideau Transit Group construction consortium building the Confederation Line was to hand over the completed system to the city) was originally end of May 2018. In February it was determined that date would be missed and a new date was set for November 2, 2018. Today it is clear that this date will also not be met. A new date has not been stated. Below are some points from the committee meeting update that took place.

Rideau Transit Group asked for some requirements in the RSA terms to be waived to meet the November 2, without which it would not meet the date.

• Modification of Fleet Size.
• Partial opening of Rideau Station.
• Reduce 12 days of consecutive testing.
• Possible partial line opening or operation.

John Manconi says adjusting any of these requirements would compromise their ability to maintain transit service levels. Therefore RSA will not be achieved by November 2nd.

The city's own analysis of the state of construction has determined that it will not enter service until 2019. John Manconi did receive a call on Friday from RTG saying that RSA might be met by November 30th. What this means is unclear, so most of the points below are based on missing November 2nd, and not the new potential November 30 date as there are several unknowns on what the new date entails. Also important to note that RTG has not yet filed a notice to state that they would miss November 2nd. If the date is passed, liquidating damages will begin being charged starting with $1 million. These will be deducted from the milestone payments of which two remain. Also levies against the detours for buses and vehicles still in place will be charged.

Manconi says that RTG has kept stead fast saying they would meet November 2nd, however the city did their due diligence and called them out saying they did not see evidence they would meet the November 2nd date.

Overall, there will be no further changes to bus routes until the LRT opens. The next set of changes are to coincide with and are dependent on the opening of the Confederation Line. Councillor Blais made a request to delay the implementation of the new fare table (Jan 1st) due to the delay, which will be reviewed.

Manconi says things could still change, as they are missing some critical computer parts for two trains, among other things. He can't give a guess on a date but is hoping to launch service in Q1 of 2019. He also states that nothing here will affect Stage 2 LRT construction.

OC Transpo bus operators who had received layoff notices will be retained until opening and arrangements will be made with the unions.

The City of Ottawa issued a press release with the following details:

Finance and Economic Development Committee members were briefed today on the progress of construction of the Confederation Line. 

City staff provided a project update, with respect to completion of stations, communications systems and train vehicles. City staff indicated they believe that RTG will not make the Revenue Service Availability date of November 2, 2018. Further, staff advised that their most recent assessment of when residents will be able to travel on Confederation Line has shifted beyond November of this year, and likely into 2019. This will allow completion of the project and for full system operational testing to be done. This extension will not impact the safety and reliability of the LRT system once it is operational.

Below is the presentation deck that was shown at the meeting.

The presentation contains quite a bit of information, as well as photos and some diagrams illustrating how the train control and communication systems work.

I am pleased to announce that we have launched a new feature on O-Train Fans, the O-Train Interactive System Map.

This new feature allows you to explore and discover the O-Train network, visually representing details such as station and platform locations, track layout and switch positions, location and layout of Belfast and Walkley Yards (maintenance and storage facilities for the trains), and more. 

This is the first release of the map, with several more features planned to be incorporated in the coming future.

We hope you enjoy this new way to discover the O-Train. The map can be viewed here : otrainfans.ca/system-map

A big special thank you to Derek Ellis, who developed and created this map for O-Train Fans. The map is open source and the code is available on GitHub.

I am happy to announce that the new Forums have launched on O-Train Fans.

The forums are your place to learn more about the O-Train, ask questions, and discuss a variety of related topics. You are also free and encouraged to share your stories, knowledge and photos with us.

With the Confederation Line launch only months away and much more construction and expansion planned over the next 5 years, there will be plenty to talk about and share. Let us be your source to finding out the latest news and keeping you informed.

Sign up today, it's quick and easy (takes less than 30 seconds), and you will be ready to participate in the discussion.

Thank you again for being part of this journey with us on O-Train Fans.

Shane Séguin - Webmaster