Cancelled north-south LRT in Ottawa is resurrected

Siemens Canada, PCL Constructors and Ottawa LRT Corp won a $36.7 million settlement this month as compensation for the work they did on a north-south light rail project in Ottawa that was cancelled in 2006.

Just a few days after Ottawa City Council approved the legal settlement this September, however, Ottawa’s mayor Larry O’Brien said the city now wants to go ahead with the line, which would run from Bayview to South Keys.  As part of the settlement with Siemens, the design and environmental studies already completed for the rail corridor will be handed over to the city.

The north-south line is one of the projects for which the city has requested funding from the federal government. Ottawa has requested $1.8 billion for projects that are in an advanced state of readiness, including the new north-south line, and converting the existing diesel O-Train to a dual-track electric light rail from Bayview to South Keys.