OTTAWA — Extensions to Ottawa’s light rail lines continue to fall behind schedule, with the western extension of the electrified Confederation line now likely to be completed 17 months late, and the southern addition to the diesel-powered Trillium line at least a year overdue.
The CBC reports a city committee was told Tuesday that the delays to the western extension, which will add 11 stations, reflect labor and cement shortages and mean the line is now expected to be delivered to the city in late 2026. The 17-month delay is a significant slide from earlier this year; in April, the city’s rail director, Michael Morgan, estimated the project was three months behind schedule, and in August, he said it could be up to a year late.
A five-station eastern extension is only about 36 days behind at this point, he said.
Meanwhile, the southern extension of the Trillium Line, which will service Ottawa International Airport, was supposed to have been completed by now. It is now expected to be handed over to the city in August 2023. The Stadler FLIRT trainsets have arrived and about 65 of the track has been laid, but signal testing can’t begin in earnest until trackwork is done.
Share this article
