OC Transpo riders will have access to more LRT trains and fewer shuttle buses on Monday than in recent weeks, Ottawa’s transit general manager says.
Renée Amilcar said in a memo Friday that the number of single-car trains on the Confederation Line will increase from 13 to 17.
Some of those will operate as double-car trains throughout the day, Amilcar said, calling it a proactive move for peak periods with trains running about every four minutes during those times.
OC Transpo had, as of earlier this week, 33 light rail vehicles available for service — enough, in theory, to run 15 double-car trains with three cars in reserve. Roughly half that contingent will be available Monday.
It made the switch to slower single-car trains last month after a multi-week shutdown and train and track work to keep maintenance costs down while meeting lower ridership demand.
“OC Transpo anticipates that this service frequency will provide sufficient capacity for customers,” she wrote in the memo.
“The operations team will continue to closely monitor and adjust service as needed.”
Renée Amilcar, Ottawa’s general manager of transit services said the additional trains OC Transpo is adding to the city’s Confederation Line Monday should help relieve crowding at LRT stations and aboard trains.
The service had said it was confident it could handle post-Labour Day crowds — when English schools returned to join French counterparts, post-secondary school got back underway and many summer vacations ended — with just 13 single-car trains.
Amilcar told Radio-Canada’s Les matins d’ici earlier on Friday that OC Transpo has been watching how the last few days have worked out and would have service improvements to announce based on what the agency has seen.
Western shuttle buses ending
Amilcar also said the peak period shuttle buses running to and from Tunney’s Pasture station will also end after Friday afternoon’s trips.
Express buses directly between Blair station and three downtown stops in the morning and afternoon peaks (from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.) began during this summer’s closure.
They were pitched as an alternative to R1 replacement buses stopping at or near most light rail stations.
That run proved popular with riders. Even when the full light rail line reopened, those express buses not only stayed, but expanded to Tunney’s Pasture at the western end of the line.
Amilcar said the eastern buses to and from Blair are averaging about 50 riders a trip, but the Tunney’s Pasture express bus service only averages five to 10 riders.
OC Transpo is forecast to end 2023 with $51.3 million less in revenue than was budgeted, mostly because of lost fares from lower ridership.
