O-Train off peak service drops to every 10 minutes on Monday: Here's what you need to know

The O-Train will be running less frequently during off-peak hours starting on Monday, as OC Transpo adjusts service on the light-rail transit line to meet customer demand and travel patterns.

OC Transpo says the Confederation Line will run every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, instead of every five minutes.

"The change in frequency will allow Line 1 to continue to offer sufficient capacity to meet off-peak ridership volumes," the transit service said in a memo to Council on July 29. "This change will be closely monitored and, should there be an increase in ridership, adjustments can be made."

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Here's what you need to know about LRT service starting on Monday, Aug. 26.

How often will the trains run?

OC Transpo says the O-Train Line 1 will run every 5 minutes at stations during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods Monday to Friday. 

The Confederation Line trains will stop every 10 minutes at stations between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday.

OC Transpo says the current interval between trains (before Aug. 26) is every 5 minutes between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

What will the schedule look like?

OC Transpo provides a look at the interval between trains at stations Monday to Friday:

• 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.: 8 minutes
• 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 5 minutes
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: 10 minutes
• 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: 5 minutes
• 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.: 10 minutes
• 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Monday to Thursday): 15 minutes

OC Transpo says O-Train Line 1 will run every 10 minutes from 6:30 p.m. to end of service day (2 a.m.) on Fridays.

What will the schedule look like on weekends?

According to the OC Transpo website, the O-Train will run every 9 to 10 minutes on weekends.

What is the projected ridership for the fall?

Data provided by OC Transpo shows a projected ridership for weekdays this fall of 4,400 customers trips per hour in each direction during peak periods and 2,900 customer trips an hour per direction during off-peak hours.

OC Transpo says there will be capacity for 7,200 trips per hour per direction during peak periods and 3,600 customers per hour per direction during off-peak periods.

"The adjustments leave a buffer to accommodate any additional ridership increases in both peak and off-peak ridership this fall," OC Transpo said.

Double-car trains will continue to run on weekdays.

Fall Schedule

The changes to the O-Train schedule are part of changes to the fall OC Transpo schedule.

Other changes this fall include:

• Line 2 buses serving Carleton University will be increased from summer service levels to accommodate the seasonal return of higher ridership. Peak period service will operate every 10 minutes, and midday and evening service will operate every 12 minutes.
• Routes 7 and 25 will return to their regular non-summer schedules to accommodate the seasonal return of higher ridership.
• School bus routes return for the fall.

Riders react

Laura Shantz, a member of the Ottawa Transit Riders group, said she is concerned about how the new schedule will connect with the bus service.

"If I need to take the LRT and then catch a bus, I'm going to be very frustrated because just the ten minutes on its own, not that big of a deal for me personally, but the minute I am trying to make it to a bus stop on time at the other end of that ride, that is a huge problem. It can mean the difference between making my bus or waiting another 30 minutes for the next one."

River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington told CTV News Ottawa on Monday that the change will have a negative impact, especially at a time when students are returning to classes and federal workers are getting set to come back to the office three days per week.

"This will impact our riders. And really, for a system that we've promoted for years is going to be rapid and frequent, this goes against that. So like I said, I have concerns with that. The LRT and Trillium Lines need to be rapid and frequent, and I want to see more service on those lines and not less," he said.