OC Transpo expects to know in September when Line 2 LRT might launch
There is still no firm date for the launch of the southern extension of the O-Train Line 2.
The Trillium Line is being extended to Riverside South with a spur to the airport. Opening dates for the line have been repeatedly pushed back because of construction delays. It was initially scheduled to be open in 2022, but is now expected sometime this year.
At Monday's light-rail subcommittee meeting, Transit Services general manager Renée Amilcar said she would not commit to a firm opening date at this time, but suggested more might be known in the fall.
"We have a trigger that we absolutely need. We need to be able to run trains from Bayview to Limebank," she said. "We should be very, very close in August so when we come back in September through the LRT subcommittee, if we succeed on that trigger, we should be able to commit on a firm date."
Amilcar insisted that the Line would not open until it is ready. She also repeated OC Transpo's previous commitment to keep parallel bus service running along Line 2 until April 2024.
"There is no rush to move forward with a system which is not ready," Amilcar said.
Michael Morgan, the city’s director of rail construction, said there is still some work around Hunt Club Road to be done before testing can begin, including on the rail bridge.
Getting track on the bridge over Hunt Club Road should be completed in July, he said.
"We're still looking to that August timeline to get to a point where trains can run from Bayview all the way to Limebank," he said. "It's not just that train to Bayview, it's a set of trains to Bayview where we can then hand over to training and say now the system is mature enough to start running trains back and forth, build up the training hours, and demonstrate over August and September the reliability of the system to give us comfort that when you start trial running, it will be successful."
OC Transpo recently tested trains at the airport station and also tested trains at Limebank, Morgan said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.