Get Ready For Rail!

The City wants to help you Get Ready for Rail by equipping you with all the information you need to take your journey on board the O-Train Confederation Line in 2018.

At the April 19 Transit Commission meeting, a new information and education campaign – called Ready for Rail – was unveiled. The Ready for Rail campaign aims to answer the questions that people may have about the new system, things like: "Where will it go?", "How often will it come?", "How will I get to it?" and to provide information about how the system is "Built for Accessibility."

Here is just some of the information from the campaign to help you get Ready for Rail:

Where will it go?

The 12.5-km O-Train Confederation Line will connect 13 stations from Tunney's Pasture Station in the west to Blair Station in the east, replacing current bus service through downtown Ottawa.

Most customers will use the Confederation Line on a daily basis in their transit trips, to get to and from downtown. Through downtown, the Confederation Line travels underground in a 2.5-km tunnel that stretches from LeBreton Flats to Waller Street near the University of Ottawa.

When you arrive at one of the downtown stations — Lyon, Parliament or Rideau — you will be protected from the elements as you exit the train onto a modern, underground platform. Escalators and elevators provide an easy and accessible connection to street level.

As well, the east-west running Confederation Line will connect with the north-south running Trillium Line at Bayview Station, and integrated bus loops at major transfer stations – including Tunney's Pasture, Hurdman, St-Laurent and Blair – will make it easy for customers on buses to connect to the Confederation Line.

Built for Accessibility

The O-Train Confederation Line stations will be fully accessible, with features including:

• Tactile wayfinding tiles;
• Audible and visual service announcements and passenger information displays;
• Tactile warning strips and inter-car barriers will keep everyone safely away from the platform edge;
• Two elevators at all stations;
• Accessible ticket machines featuring Braille, raised text, and audible voice instructions via speakers or headphone jacks;
• Accessible fare gates; and
• Public washrooms at the four major transfer stations at Tunney's Pasture, Bayview, Hurdman and Blair.
  The Alston Citadis Spirit trains will also be fully accessible, with features including:

• 100% low-floors with entrances that are level with platforms;
• Audible and visual on-board next stop announcement systems;
• Cooperative seating areas with flip-up seats directly beside the train doors;
• Slip-resistant, heated and low-glare floors;
• Bright yellow grab bars easily reached from all positions; and,
• Door controls and intercoms on the trains at heights accessible to all.

Please keep a look out for information across the city on bus shelters, bike racks, within city facilities, and online as Ottawa continues to get "Ready for Rail".

For more information on Ready for Rail, please visit www.octranspo.com/ready4rail.

If you need more information on accessible transit, contact the Access OC Hotline at 613-842-3625 (TTY: 613-741-5280) or e-mail your questions to accessibility@octranspo.com.

For all other questions, please contact OC Transpo at 613-741-4390, the City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 or TTY at 613-741-5280.