O-Train Stage 2 (East and West Extensions)

Alignment

Stage 2 is a package of three light rail extensions totalling 44 km and 24 new stations. The south extension of the Trillium Line opened in January 2025 as Lines 2 and 4, taking north–south service to Limebank and Ottawa International Airport. This entry tracks the two Confederation Line extensions, about 27.5 km and 16 stations, which have not yet opened to passengers.

The east extension carries Line 1 12.5 km from Blair to Trim, mostly in the median of Highway 174 (Ottawa Road 174), with five stations: Montréal (built across Montreal Road), Jeanne d’Arc, Convent Glen, Place d’Orléans, and Trim, where a pedestrian bridge links to the park-and-ride. Construction is complete, and trains now run there for testing, but passengers still have to leave the train at Blair.

The west extension adds 15 km and 11 stations from Tunney’s Pasture. The line runs west along the Ottawa River through Westboro and Kichi Zìbì (which replaces Dominion), then through a cut-and-cover tunnel along the Byron Linear Tramway Park with below-grade stations at Sherbourne and New Orchard, to Lincoln Fields, a three-platform transfer station. From there Line 1 turns south through Iris to Algonquin (which replaces Baseline, next to Algonquin College), while a new Line 3 continues west along Highway 417 through Queensview, Pinecrest, and Bayshore to Moodie. A light maintenance and storage yard on Corkstown Road, west of Moodie, serves the extension. Most of the western route runs below grade, which makes the alignment shorter and straighter.

Updates

2026-11 — All Line 1 trains to run to Trim in testing from November 22

OC Transpo said that from November 22, all 23 Line 1 trains will run on a coordinated schedule to Trim, about every four and a half minutes, while riders still get off at Blair. The full-line runs come before about a week of pre-trial running, the required 21 days of trial running, and 5 to 10 days of final preparation and certification. OC Transpo said at least five weeks will pass between the start of pre-trial running and the public opening, and it has not set an opening date.

2026-07 — Canada Day flood damages the west extension

Storms on July 1 dropped nearly 167 mm of rain in about five hours on west Ottawa. They damaged electrical equipment, track, and ballast near Moodie, as well as the tunnel along the Kichi Zibi Mikan and the Sherbourne, New Orchard, Queensview, and Pinecrest station areas. Before the flood, the city had aimed to open the extension in 2027. The Ottawa Citizen reported a summer 2027 target, and transit committee chair Glen Gower spoke of a late 2027 launch. Gower said the opening will probably slip by a few more months, and council expects an updated schedule in early 2027.

2026-06 — No date for east extension trial running

OC Transpo said it was unclear when the east extension would open, as it concentrated on Line 1 reliability. In January, cartridge-bearing problems had forced trains with more than 100,000 km of use out of service, and double-car trains did not return until June 8.

2026-03 — East extension reaches substantial completion

OC Transpo announced substantial completion of the 12.5 km Blair–Trim extension in early March. Maintenance contractor Rideau Transit Maintenance was due to take over the line ahead of trial running, and the city said a second-quarter 2026 opening was on track. The project had already missed several earlier target dates.

2025-01 — Lines 2 and 4 open

On January 6, 2025, OC Transpo opened the rebuilt and extended north–south O-Train, Lines 2 and 4, after more than two years of delays. The opening completed the Stage 2 Trillium Line south extension to Limebank and the airport, which had originally been due in 2022.

2019-02 — Council proceeds with C$4.657B Stage 2

Ottawa approved an expanded Stage 2 budget of C$4.657 billion, about C$2.366 billion of it from federal and provincial grants. East-West Connectors, led by Kiewit and Vinci, was recommended for the 27.5 km Confederation Line east and west extensions, and TransitNEXT, led by SNC-Lavalin, for the 16 km Trillium Line extension. The bids planned openings in 2022 (Trillium), 2024 (east), and 2025 (west). Construction began in 2019.