'We are not ready to start trial running': OC Transpo will not commit to opening date for Trillium Line

The head of OC Transpo will not commit to opening the new Trillium Line ahead of back-to-school at Carleton University this fall, as testing continues on Ottawa's new north-south light rail transit line.

The head of OC Transpo will not commit to opening the new Trillium Line ahead of back-to-school at Carleton University this fall, as testing continues on Ottawa's new north-south light rail transit line.

OC Transpo management provided a technical briefing on the work being done on Ottawa's new transit line that will run between Bayview Station and Riverside South, with a spur to the Ottawa International Airport. There is also no word on when the new Trillium Line will open for the public.

While you see trains running on the line every day, OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar would not say when the 21-day testing period will begin.

"We have achieved many significant milestones and made important progress towards this point, but there's still critical work to do done," Amilcar told councillors and the media.

"Throughout trial running, we want to ensure the system is safe and reliable when it opens. This is an important step in our commitment in providing a transit system we can trust."

The 21-day trial running period will be the final step before the Trillium Line launches for passengers.

When asked by Coun. Shawn Menard about a possible opening date ahead of the start of the school year at Carleton University, Amilcar would only say OC Transpo is at the start of the eight-to-10 week testing and trial running period.