LRT Trillium Line scores near perfect in first week of testing

A Trillium Line train parked at South Keys Station on Thursday, May 16. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

The first of week of testing for Ottawa's new north-south line is going as well as hoped.

Testing began one week ago for a 14-day trial run of the Trillium Line. TransitNEXT, the consortium that built the line, needs to meet a minimum 98.5 per cent on-time performance rating during the daily testing period.

As of Sunday's trial testing, the 14-day rolling average stands at 99.6 per cent.

Despite a few issues on some vehicles this week, none of the problems dramatically affected the on-time performance of the new diesel trains.

Reliability scores released daily by OC Transpo have reached perfect or near-perfect marks, with trial running still set to conclude on Oct. 21.

The 14-day reliability testing period simulates the conditions of normal passenger service and will be followed by a seven-day second phase that looks at daily operational and maintenance scenario evaluations.

On-time performance is measured by assessing on-time departures at terminus stations for both Lines 2 and 4 – Bayview and Limebank Stations on Line 2, and South Keys and Airport stations on Line 4. Trains must depart within 30 seconds of their scheduled time.

If the 21-day testing period runs smoothly, the Trillium Line could open to the public in mid-November.

The 16-kilometre, north-south line was originally scheduled to open to the public in August 2022.

Here is a summary of the first week of testing:

Day 1: Monday Oct. 7

The Trillium Line had an on-time performance of 98.3 per cent on the first day of testing, just short of the 98.5 per cent rolling average required over the 14-day trial.

Key issues identified that caused the lower score included a minor braking issue on one of the trains and a software problem with CCTV camera functionality on two others.

Day 2: Tuesday, Oct. 8

The second day of testing had an on-time performance of 99.4 per cent, bringing the 14-day rolling average to 98.9 per cent. Four trains left their stations over the 30-second mark required to be considered on-time.

Among the key issues identified were another CCTV camera software problem on one of the trains.

Day 3: Wednesday, Oct. 9

The third day of testing had its first perfect score, with 100 per cent of the trains leaving on-time. The successful trial testing brought the 14-day rolling average to 99.3 per cent.

Day 4: Thursday, Oct. 10

The fourth day of testing had a perfect score, bringing the 14-day rolling average to 99.4 per cent.

Day 5: Friday, Oct. 11

The Trillium Line had an on-time performance of 99.4 per cent on the fifth day of testing, keeping the 14-day rolling average to 99.4 per cent.

Day 6: Saturday, Oct. 12

The sixth day of testing had a perfect score, bringing the 14-day rolling average to 99.5 per cent.

Day 7: Sunday, Oct. 13

The seventh day of testing had a perfect score, bringing the 14-day rolling average to 99.6 per cent.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle