Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service

[JCL]

I just posted a video of Lebreton Station in its present operation and the temporary operation that will go into effect this Sunday. Filmed yesterday afternoon.

• Video Link

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Hmm... December 24th. Busiest non-commuter travel day of the year, might be a little hectic to have the switchover happen then. Though, that's also very much a low point for suburban commuter traffic, which make the switchover easier.

That would be approximately the booking change, and would be a Sunday in 2017. It wouldn't be tested in weekday service of any kind until the 4th day, and in regular weekday service for 2 weeks.

[J.OT13]

So Canadian. We measure in hockey rinks, not football fields!

December 23, 2014

Did You Know?

Sewer replacement along Highway 417

Did you know that the Highway 417 expansion project includes the replacement of more than 9,000 metres of sewer pipes along the project corridor? That’s longer than 150 NHL sized hockey rinks end to end. Work is ongoing in the median lanes and approximately 500 metres of sewer will be replaced in 2015.

Highway 417 expansion is scheduled to be completed by fall 2015 to allow for transit service to be detoured onto the highway during station and guideway construction from Blair Station to Hurdman Station.

http://www.confederationline.ca/en/

Construction Update
Final works occur on the Preston Street detour / Les derniers travaux sont en cours dans la déviation de la rue Preston


Preston Street Detour

The detour took effect Sunday and allows transit, commuters, pedestrians and cyclists to use Preston Street from Albert Street to Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway during the Booth Street closure and construction of Pimisi Station. The detour includes new OC Transpo bus shelters, a multi-use pathway (MUP) on the east side of Preston Street, new traffic signalization and streetlight poles.

Final works occur on the Preston Street detour / Les derniers travaux sont en cours dans la déviation de la rue Preston

Lyon Station

Lyon Station cavern works continue with concrete pours for the elevator and escalator pits.

Lyon Station cavern concrete works / Travaux de béton dans le grand espace de la station Lyon

Parliament Station

Parliament Station cavern reinforcement continues with tension tie installation.

Parliament Station cavern works continue / Les travaux se poursuivent dans le grand espace de la station Parlement

Rideau Station

Rideau Station cavern excavation is ongoing.

Rideau Station cavern excavation / Excavation du grand espace souterrain de la station Rideau

Rideau Station East Entrance

Preliminary works continue for the future Rideau Station. Abatement on the main floor of the existing Scotiabank building is ongoing. Demolition continues in the basement in anticipation of the building’s demolition that will begin in January 2015.

Permanent hoarding is being installed at the Scotiabank building in preparation for January demolition / Une palissade de chantier permanente est installée à l’immeuble de la Banque Scotia en vue des travaux de démolition de janvier

Belfast Yard

Masonry work, cladding and panel installation for the building envelope, glazing and roofing on the shed will resume in early January 2015. Works on the Belfast Yard connector, which allows vehicles to travel to and from the Light Rail Transit (LRT) track to Belfast Yard, are ongoing.

Belfast Road Underpass

Reconstruction on the abutments will resume in January 2015 as long-term closure of Belfast Road, north of Tremblay Road to Coventry Road continues.

VIA Rail tracks being reinstated over the Belfast Yard connector / Réinstallation des voies ferrées de VIA Rail au-dessus de la voie de raccordement de la cour Belfast

Hurdman Bridge

Mobilization and girder installation, part of the reconstruction of the bridge’s median span, continue. The east and west multiuse pathways will remain open until the beginning of January.

Highway 417

Drilling median foundations, installing electrical and light poles, and sewer works from Cyrville Road to Nicholas Street are ongoing.

Girder installation at Hurdman Bridge / Installation des poutres au pont Hurdman

Coventry Pedestrian Footbridge

Concrete pours on the stairs were completed. Installation of railings and electrical works occur in the beginning of the week.

Installation of railings on the north ramp of the Coventry Pedestrian Footbridge / Installation des rampes sur la bretelle nord de la passerelle pour piétons du chemin Coventry



Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities will advance:
•Jawbreaker will move from the West Portal to the East Portal in January.
•Demolition of the Scotiabank building at William and Rideau streets will begin.
•Girder installation at Hurdman Bridge will continue through January/early February.
•Coventry Pedestrian Footbridge works continue.
•Booth Street bridge construction will begin.

http://www.confederationline.ca/en/c...tion-update-5/

That's interesting:

Jawbreaker will move from the West Portal to the East Portal in January.

[FFX-ME]

It seems that the confederation line in Ottawa, which will opperate at frequency intervals below 5 mins, and will be fully grade seperated (unlike the lrt lines in Alberta) qualifies as a metro system and in fact will become Canada's fourth metro system after Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The trillium line, however, is not a metro line due to its infrequent intervals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...r_construction

[ACmodels]

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

It seems that the confederation line in Ottawa, which will opperate at frequency intervals below 5 mins, and will be fully grade seperated (unlike the lrt lines in Alberta) qualifies as a metro system and in fact will become Canada's fourth metro system after Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The trillium line, however, is not a metro line due to its infrequent intervals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...r_construction

I don't see Ottawa's Confederation Line anywhere on that wikipedia page...

But I totally agree it a Metro Line!

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by ACmodels

I don't see Ottawa's Confederation Line anywhere on that wikipedia page...

But I totally agree it a Metro Line!

Looks like the fact that it's "Light" rail is the only sticky point... but it seems to be a grey enough area...

That said... anyone can edit Wikipedia... nudge, nudge

[FFX-ME]

I tried editing the article but the changes were rejected and I was sent to a wikipedia discussion page about the article where people discuss whether systems are worthy of being added to the list.

[eemy]

Reviewing the talk page, it appears that there is one editor who is acting like a bit of a gatekeeper for the page. I appreciate what the person is doing, as the page would likely balloon with all sorts of examples that don't meet the qualifications of the metro (or at least the stated ones, I have all sorts of issues with trying to classify mass transit systems). That said, his stated reason for reverting your edit is inconsistent with the article itself, so his judgement is maybe a bit questionable.

In situations like this, it is better to hash it out in the talk page before trying to make an edit again (I added a section there). Even then, sometimes the wikipedia community makes boneheaded decisions. It is fair to say that any list article is going to be very problematic and it's often better to just move on and forget about it.

[acottawa]

I tend to agree with the gatekeeper, the Alstom Citadis is a tram, it is used in dozens of cities around the world as a tram. The fact that Ottawa has chosen to grade separate its tram doesn't make it into a metro.

Personally I always found the choice of technology bizarre. If the objective is to have a fully grade-separated service there are a number of driverless light metro technologies that may have been a better fit (and saved money in the long run).

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I tend to agree with the gatekeeper, the Alstom Citadis is a tram, it is used in dozens of cities around the world as a tram. The fact that Ottawa has chosen to grade separate its tram doesn't make it into a metro.

Personally I always found the choice of technology bizarre. If the objective is to have a fully grade-separated service there are a number of driverless light metro technologies that may have been a better fit (and saved money in the long run).

IMO the Confederation Line is both a metro and an LRT, it meets the criteria for both at opening.

The reason why LRT vehicles were chosen is to allow future extensions to be at-grade. The Western EA evaluated the cost/benefit of grade separating Iris, and concluded that it should be grade-separated. But if it hadn't, we had the option of saving some money by leaving it as a level crossing, as opposed to a metro system that is stuck to being grade separated forever even if crossing a road with minimal traffic. Phase 2 probably won't have level crossings, because the Orleans & Bayshore extensions will cross roads only right near freeway ramps which probably precludes level crossings (excluding Connaught Avenue but that has to be a tunnel anyway because of development), and the Western LRT study has already concluded in favour of grade seperating Iris for the Baseline extension. But in the future, if Phase 3 for example sends LRT down to Barrhaven, the existing level crossing at Berrigan could be retained. In such an event it would no longer qualify as a metro. Because it could be 'disqualified' simply with a line extension, it shouldn't be classified as a metro in the same sense that say the Toronto subway or Montreal metro should be. At least that's my $0.02.

[Kitchissippi]

I think we'll see when the line finally opens and everyone sees the scale of these trains whether there's a stomach for level crossings. I think the city has been spooked by level rail crossings of late, and images like the recent Toronto accident where the company's own vehicles collided don't help either. It shows that it's not a question "if" these things happen but "when".

Toronto Star

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

Looks like the fact that it's "Light" rail is the only sticky point... but it seems to be a grey enough area...

That said... anyone can edit Wikipedia... nudge, nudge

Done!

[J.OT13]

I think they chose light rail technology because at the time the city was dead set on building the west extension on the current east bound ORP lanes. They refused to acknowledge the NCC's opposition to the half backed idea. The O'Brien era plan called for some cheap, half assed system beyond phase I.

As far as I'm concerned the current system is a full fledged metro using light rail technology. It gives us more flexibility in terms of tight curves and steep inclines. I'm just disappointed with the length of the trains and the low floor design. Having a "sidewalk" relationship between the platform and the rail bed, as opposed to a 4 foot drop, might cause a problem.


http://www.confederationline.ca/indexfr.php#&panel1-1


http://www.citynews.ca/2014/07/25/wo...ntreal-subway/

[Aylmer]

I think for one it'll make it hella less scary to be on those narrow platforms when you don't fear falling five feet onto an electrified rail. I doubt it'll lead to people just wandering onto the tracks as a train's pulling in any more than they do in the 50+ cities with low-floor LRT.

[FFX-ME]

I've actually never taken it but is the current O-train line fully grade separated as well? I suppose that the fact that it uses diesel trains would disqualify it from being a metro line though.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Having a "sidewalk" relationship between the platform and the rail bed, as opposed to a 4 foot drop, might cause a problem.

The only thing it necessitates is a barrier to prevent people from being tempted to cross to the other platform if they've made a mistake of being in the wrong one, otherwise, the low platforms are actually safer. I only wish they would consider using frameless glass instead of the ugly perforated metal shown in the rendering, it would make the stations feel more airy. That, or go back to the nicer centre-platform configuration we were shown in the original concepts

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The only thing it necessitates is a barrier to prevent people from being tempted to cross to the other platform if they've made a mistake of being in the wrong one, otherwise, the low platforms are actually safer. I only wish they would consider using frameless glass instead of the ugly perforated metal shown in the rendering, it would make the stations feel more airy. That, or go back to the nicer centre-platform configuration we were shown in the original concepts

I agree, if it has to be side platforms, they need to come up with something better than a chain link fence to separate the tracks. Ideally, they would go back to the initially planned centre platforms.

[bartlebooth]

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

I've actually never taken it but is the current O-train line fully grade separated as well? I suppose that the fact that it uses diesel trains would disqualify it from being a metro line though.

It is fully grade separated

[McC]

Except for where it crosses other train tracks. (It also had a level pedestrian crossing until this past fall)

[J.OT13]

Do they still run freight trains on the line?