The
O-Train East Extension
is still on track to launch this spring, as OC Transpo announced Thursday that it has achieved the certificate of substantial completion.
Following substantial completion, responsibility for the East Extension, which will run from Blair Station to Trim Station, is now in the hands of Rideau Transit Maintenance, which will
complete the final steps
, including trial running and final system preparations, ahead of welcoming passengers.
“Substantial completion is an important contractual milestone and confirms that the constructor, EWC, has delivered all new system infrastructure and that it is functional an can be safely operated and maintained,” OC Transpo interim general manager Troy Charter wrote in a March 5 memo to council.
Next steps will include updates to the train control system software, adjustments to the platform edge cameras, as well as landscaping and final paving on Highway 174, according to the memo.
The announcement comes one day after OC Transpo originally forecast it would hit this milestone, as a report set for the March 12 transit committee session predicted substantial completion would be reached on March 4.
“Following substantial completion, there will be a familiarization period for Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) staff and a technical briefing held prior to the start of the trial running phase,” according to the report, which was published March 3.
The trial running phase is expected to last 21 days, followed by final system preparations and final safety approval from an independent safety auditor before the train line can be put into regular service.
“At this time, we continue to be on track to launch the East Extension in Q2 2026, as previously stated at Transit Committee,” Charter wrote in Thursday’s memo, referring to the second quarter of the year which runs from April to June.
Charter had previously said the much-anticipated east extension to Orléans would be delayed to the second quarter of 2026 after the
discovery of a “spalling” issue
with the cartridge bearing assemblies in Line 1 train axles.
Charter said the spalling issue, which was detected in January and forced OC Transpo to remove 41 train cars from service for repairs, would not affect the timeline for the substantial completion phase of the east rail extension.
The March 5 memo added work will continue “in parallel” to restore full capacity and fleet availability on Line 1, as transit authority staff work to “complete new containment and monitoring measures” that would allow the full fleet to return to operation.
“These are critically important steps, and the work will continue as we apply lessons learned to date,” Charter said.
At the time, OC Transpo had only 18 train cars available. The transit authority had 21 train cars available at its most recent update on Feb. 27.
OC Transpo needs 26 trains to restore peak service on Line 1, Charter said. Lines 2 and 4 remain unaffected by the spalling issue.
OC Transpo staff previously said they would require 46 train cars for the 21-day testing phase, which will simulate full service along Line 1.
The O-Train has been running with single train cars at increased intervals, instead of double cars, to keep passengers moving and to prevent overcrowding at stations, with one single-car train running every three to four minutes during peak periods.
