The head of OC Transpo is still unable to commit to an opening date for the much-delayed Trillium Line of the LRT but she says that testing has been going smoothly so far.
Renée Amilcar told Transit Commission April 11 that before setting a date, she needs to see testing operation hours increase, operator training completed and the system testing advanced.
“What I can say today is things are evolving positively,” she said.
In December and as late as last month, Amilcar had projected that service could start running this spring. The project was originally scheduled to be complete in late 2022, but has been delayed multiple times.
The Trillium Line will extend from Bayview to Limebank Station, with a second branch connecting South Keys to the airport.
“We continue to see good progress on the testing and commissioning program as well as training of operators and system controllers,” said Amilcar.
She said OC Transpo has been testing trains at night, between Limebank and Bayview stations, as well as to the airport. She said that, by the end of April, testing will also run on weekends and that training of operators will be complete by late May.
These tasks will be completed by May 31, when a joint meeting of the Transit Commission and the light-rail transit subcommittee is scheduled, though Amilcar said she couldn’t commit to providing a firm opening date at that point. But she said city council can expect a “a full update on the stage two LRT extension project, including a close look at the south extension and the status of activities required to open lines 2 and 4.”
“What I must stress is that this current work is critical and cannot be rushed.”
Headway testing, securing station occupancy permits and completing remaining construction activities across the entire line will need to be finished before opening the Trillium Line to the public, she said.
