Get on the GO, Ottawa: An honest look at a regional commuter railway

Apologies since this post is a few days late. I was planning to post it on Friday but was without power for much of the weekend, due to a massive power outage in Ottawa and Gatineau, as a result of a string of tornadoes that damaged parts of the area - Michael

With last week’s rant about the city’s laughable railway rhetoric out of my system, I want to take the time to look at the idea of regional commuter rail in Ottawa. As many locals know and as I shared last week, Clive Doucet, a former city councillor running for mayor, has floated his idea for light rail in the National Capital Region, which takes a page out of the current O-Train plans and also borrows heavily from the Moose playbook.

Of course, our current mayor has dismissed Doucet’s plans out of hand, which is unfortunate. I will agree that Doucet’s plans require much more work, but there is so much about his idea that deserves a harder look. It’s a shame no one on the city’s current council, including the mayor, wants to explore anything other than their own vision for commuter rail in this city.

So, in the absence of any real analysis from the experts, I present to you my own analysis of Mr. Doucet’s railway plan, from my own point of view. I don’t pretend, of course, to have all the answers. But I would hope I can at least inject a little common sense into this farcical debate. Let’s begin.

Is this type of commuter rail possible in Ottawa? It depends on who you ask

The Good

The plan calls for service to a number of rural communities in the region, connecting Ottawa to many commuters in the east, west, south and north. Many people from outlying areas still drive to work, which is why Highway 417 is jammed every rush hour in both directions.

The plan calls for using existing rails, which is such a simple and cost effective idea, I’m surprised it hasn’t even been explored.

The plan isn’t an all-or-nothing plan. In other words, it’s not just about building new, electrified light rail lines in stages in the city over the next decade or so. There is a real chance to establish heavy rail commuter trains on existing tracks in short order.

The plan calls for a rail link over the Prince of Wales Bridge.

The responsibility for the system would likely be shared among municipalities, not just Ottawa.

There is a potential to get two provincial governments involved in this project (read: more potential money)

The Bad

There is a potential to get two provincial governments involved in this project. I know I wrote that in the good column as well, but it’s a double-edged sword. With the current government in Ontario not likely to want to be the steward of another GO Transit system in the province, it’s unlikely the regional rail system here would have the same model as the one in the Greater Toronto Area. Also, with a potential change in government looming in Quebec, who knows what the new government will want to do in the Outaouais region? The area is an anomaly in Quebec for many reasons, including its dependency on the federal government and its voting patterns, which sometimes run contrary to the rest of the province.

Critics have estimated that the Prince of Wales Bridge needs $40 million in repairs to prepare it for railway use again.

An interprovincial regional commuter service would come under the jurisdiction of the federal government’s Canadian Transportation Agency (read: complications).

The plan calls for rail links to areas that no longer have rail lines (Fitzroy Harbour, Chelsea, Quebec, Navan, Stittsville, Kanata North).

This is what is left of a line that would serve Fitzroy Harbour on a commuter line. In other words, there is nothing left.

This plan would require the repurposing or expropriation of recreational trails, which are jealously guarded in this city. This would not be easy.

The plan calls for negotiating running rights with Via Rail Canada, Canadian National, a company in Arnprior and municipalities that own former rail rights-of-way. This is because the proposed system would use the Smiths Falls Subdivision (a very busy Via Rail corridor), the Alexandria Subdivision (also a busy Via corridor), the Nylene Canada-owned Renfrew Spur, the former Maniwaki Subdivision and the parts of the old Lachute Subdivision that are under the control of the City of Gatineau. In other words, there are many, many, many moving parts.

Can commuter trains share the Smiths Falls Sub (seen here at Cedarview Road) with Via Rail Canada? It would be tricky to say the least, but not impossible.

It’s not clear how a heavy rail system would function with the Confederation Line and the Trillium Line.

So, with that stated, let’s take a close look at what might be involved if a regional commuter railway was planned and where the trains might operate.

Carleton Place Subdivision

It’s obvious from the map that Doucet wants to use parts of the old Beachburg Subdivision to reach Bells Corners and then the old Carleton Place Sub to reach Stittsville. Getting to Bells Corners will require the acquisition of running rights from CN, a publicly traded company. I would imagine this might be trickier than some realize. Although this line is used once a week for the Arnprior turn, I can’t imagine CN would want to do any work on the rails to get them ready for commuter trains. The connection from Bells Corners to Stittsville will require repurposing what is now the Rideau Trail and parts of the Trans Canada Trail, all of which were once the old CP right-of-way. This will be tricky and likely opposed by many people in parts of south Kanata and Stittsville. Doucet’s map shows a connection between Stittsville and Kinburn, which makes no sense since Kinburn is on the old Renfrew Spur and would not likely be part of the Stittsville connection.

Another wrench in the works is that the old Bells Junction switch in Bells Corners has been removed and the small spur branching off the Beachburg Sub lifted. That right-of-way has been sold and is slated to make way for a street that will provide access to a new housing development next to a trailer park.

This is the last look at Bells Junction, which no longer exists. A plan to use the old Carleton Place Sub for commuter rail would require very tricky land deals.

Beachburg Subdivision (north of Nepean Junction)

Using the old Beachburg Subdivision to access Merivale Road is a great idea. This section of the subdivision (past Federal) is basically not used with the exception of Wednesday and this area could really benefit from a commuter rail connection. But after passing through Bells Corners, the old Beachburg Subdivision past Nepean Junction is gone. Rebuilding the roadbed all the way to Fitzroy Harbour will be monumentally expensive and likely not worth the effort, since the communities along this old railway line are not large enough to justify such a large capital project. The real benefit to using this old railway would be if it was used to connect Pembroke and Petawawa to Ottawa. But rebuilding this old piece of the CN Northern Transcon is not going to happen. This was a project that should have been explored years ago, before CN cut and run. A more practical approach would be to rebuild the right-of-way into North Kanata, where it could serve the large technology community and subdivisions there. Anything beyond that area would be a sucker’s bet.

Renfrew Spur

As mentioned above, this rail line is used once a week for the Arnprior turn. I'm not sure it would fit into Doucet's plan, although I suspect it would since Kinburn is listed as a community to be served by his system. The good news is Nylene Canada, which owns the rails, has already stated in the media that it would be open to finding ways to increase the uses for this rail line. And the land that the rails occupy is owned by the city. This land was bought by the old Region of Ottawa-Carleton for future use as a commuter line. If only that trend had continued. The bad news is, this line would not actually reach Arnprior, where it would be most useful. That's a big oversight in the Doucet plan, in my opinion.

The Renfrew Spur (seen here realigned at the old Nepean Junction) might find a willing partner in Nylene Canada, which owns the rails.

Alexandria Subdivision

Using this line to connect the city to Limoges could work, but there are a lot of Via Rail trains and some CN freight trains that would provide significant scheduling difficulties. There’s also the somewhat odd choice of a connection with Navan in Doucet’s plan. This would require new rails to be built so Navan could be connected with Vars, which is on the Alexandria Sub. It should be pointed out that there is a remnant of an old rail line that could connect Navan, but that link would require a trail be repurposed for rail use again, which is a tall task in a city that is spoiled with an abundance of recreational trails. At first glance, it seems as though someone was just pinning communities on a map without much thought as to what rail line is actually available for use. I think the Navan connection would be highly difficult to achieve. The use of the Alexandria Sub would likely require double tracking parts of this right-of-way and significant negotiations with Via Rail. To be honest, I don’t see any incentive for Via in clearing the way for regional commuter trains on this right-of-way.

Can commuter trains shares the Alexandria Sub with Via Rail Canada? One candidate for mayor is counting on it.

Smiths Falls Subdivision

The same can be said for the Smiths Falls Sub. This is a very busy Via Rail line and there would not be much incentive for Via Rail to share this rail line, if it meant any disruption in its service between Ottawa and Toronto. But, on paper, it makes sense to link Barrhaven and Richmond to the downtown on this line. That would get commuter rail to this part of the city much sooner than the current plan to extend the old CP Prescott Subdivision to Riverside South on the existing right-of-way. One potential problem is this rail line doesn’t actually get all that close to the downtown. The closest  section would be Pleasant Park, so it would require some creativity to get these commuters into the core.

Maniwaki Subdivision

Once again, the plan to extend commuter rail up the Gatineau River Valley would have been a great idea a few years ago, when the municipally owned line was in a state of flux. This line never recovered from a series of wash-outs years ago, which cost the region its unique Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train. Just last winter, the last-ditch efforts to get a tourist operations back on the rails on this old line essentially fell flat when the towns along the line began lifting the rails. It’s too bad because, with some work, this line would have been perfect for commuter rail as it was essentially inactive for parts of the year.

Lachute Subdivision

The one complicating factor to using the old Lachute trackage through Gatineau is that this line is slated to become an important part of that city’s light rail system, which is in the very early planning stages. The tracks have been rebuilt by the city, after they were ripped up to make way for the city’s Rapibus system. So, the line is in good shape. But the questions of clashing plans and interprovincial jurisdiction and funding would likely confuse the process.

Commuter trains on this section of the Lachute Sub might find willing partners in Gatineau, depending on the city's own plans for light rail.

Prescott Subdivision

I find it strange that Doucet's plan does not include the planned extension of the O-Train Trillium Line to Riverside South. This project, which was finally embraced by the current council after years of dithering, would be an important part of any regional commuter system. Better still, there is a corridor beyond Leitrim Road where the old CP Prescott Sub could be extended to reach communities like Manotick Station and Kemptville. Currently, this right-of-way exists as some sort of recreational trail. I think there's a great deal of potential with this old line.

So that’s my take. It’s too bad that this wasn’t the starting point of commuter rail discussions years ago, when the city was contemplating what to do beyond the currently operating O-Train on the old Ellwood Subdivision. It seems like elements of this plan could really be useful pieces to the city’s mass transit needs in the future.

Regional rail becomes an election issue in Ottawa

And here we go again. Most of my fellow Ottawa railfans know the city has once again pushed back the start date of the city’s Confederation Line O-Train service, although some of you out there who don’t live in this city might not know. I’ve tried to avoid too much commentary on this project, since I want to focus this blog on much more than LRT. It gets tiresome, to be honest.

Lots of construction, but no trains. Get used to this.

That being said, it would be crazy for me not to write about some of the recent developments in this city’s sad, sad history of rail bungling. And let’s be clear. Light rail transit has been bungled here many times. There was a plan under previous Mayor Bob Chiarelli, which once amazingly called for the removal of the existing Trillium Line (former CP Ellwood Subdivision, which is largely buried in a trench and hidden from view in the neighbourhoods it serves). Then there was the fixation with a downtown rail tunnel under Mayor Larry O’Brien, when a surface option was never seriously considered. Let’s not forget the giant sinkhole that collapsed near the O-Train tunnel on Rideau Street and the amazingly absurd insistence that this would not set the project back too far. More recently, we have seen the initial April deadline for the beginning of service missed. That was followed by the city letting the Rideau Transit Group off the hook by not insisting on a $1-million late penalty, which was written into the original contract. Now, the Rideau Transit Group is going to miss its own rescheduled deadline of November 2nd. When will service start? We’re being told the first quarter of 2019.

West end railway stations are still a long way from being able to host trains. This shot was taken in May, a month after service was to begin.

And I’m not even adding in the amazingly myopic decision that the Prince of Wales Bridge would be converted into a recreational pathway. This was very close to becoming reality until the city came under pressure from the Moose group and then the City of Gatineau, which wants to use the bridge as a commuter rail link as part of its own light rail system.

You can thank the City of Gatineau and the Moose Consortium for preventing this railway bridge from becoming an underutilized and overly expensive pedestrian bridge. In the coming years, it will host trains and yes, pedestrians. Everyone wins.

So, where does that leave us? Well, essentially in a holding pattern. I’m not bothered so much by the delays. This is a massive project and there were unforeseen delays, like the sinkhole. What bothers me is how little information has been shared, even when it is obvious to just about anyone that this project is nowhere near complete. Anyone that lives near the western stations on the Confederation Line knows they are still months away from even being close to ready for trains.

I will keep all this mind as the municipal elections approach. I don’t like the way the mayor has handled this file and I worry about Phase 2, as there are already some decisions in place that show an utter lack of understanding of how railways work.

So, all this to say, the light rail system has become an election issue, at least for those who know that there is more to the light rail story than the remarkably one-sided stream of “information” that has come from city hall.

Add to this drama an interesting twist. A former city councillor, Clive Doucet, is running for mayor. He has once again raised the prospect of using existing rails (what’s left anyway) for commuter rail. That would be a huge boon to my neighbourhood, which has rails running through it that are used twice a week.

Mr. Doucet, you may recall, once suggesting running rails down Carling Avenue and was harshly criticized for the idea. Honestly, I thought it had merit.

True to Ottawa’s recent history, Mr. Doucet is a day late and a dollar short (to be generous) with this proposal, although I happen to agree with the principle behind it. Mr. Doucet is proposing to run commuter trains to Smiths Falls, Fitzroy Harbour, Kinburn, Chelsea, Navan, Vars, Limoges and Lorrain Avenue in Gatineau, to name but a few proposed destinations. This includes using the Prince of Wales Bridge to connect the O-Train Trillium Line to Hull.

Next week, I intend to analyze just what it might take to realize the dream of regional commuter rail in Eastern Ontario. But, let me just say that part of Mr. Doucet’s plan involves commuter rail over scrapped railways including the old Beachburg Subdivision, the former Carleton Place Sub and the old Maniwaki Sub.

I would peg Mr. Doucet’s chances of winning the mayor’s chair as slim, but I hope he has at least generated some new enthusiasm for regional commuter rail. It’s at least worth discussing. Right? Anyone? Mr. Mayor? Is this thing on?

Forward thinking in Gatineau

As part of my railway wanderings in Hull recently, I came across the old Hull West station, which still stands on avenue Montcalm. The modest wooden station has seen better days. The roof definitely needs to be replaced, but a few businesses have made use of the building since it was last used for rail purposes. Right now, an arts store calls the station home. Before that store, a restaurant was located in the building.

The trip to see the station was an interesting little walk for me, because it revealed a couple of surprises.

As many people on this side of the river know, the City of Gatineau used the old Lachute Subdivision right-of-way through the city to construct its RapiBus express commuter service. This is the same approach that the City of Ottawa used to build part of the first phase of the Confederation Line LRT service (part of the new Confederation Line uses the bus Transitway, which was once part of the old CP Carleton Place Sub in the west end).

What I found to be really refreshing in Gatineau’s case was that, when the work on the bus road was done, the city reconstructed the old Lachute Sub. The line is now owned by the city, having most recently been used in 2007 by the Quebec Gatineau Railway, which used the sub to access the Eddy Spur and its last remaining customers in old downtown Hull.

Last used in 2007. This is what has happened to the Lachute Sub near the Ottawa River. The rest of the right-of-way has been rebuilt through Gatineau proper.

With this rail line in good shape, I would imagine the city would have a much easier time of realizing its light rail goals to connect downtown Hull with Aylmer in the west and the old City of Gatineau in the east. This is a forward-looking approach that has been in short supply in this region of late.

I don’t mean to harp on this again, but I can’t help but wonder what might have been possible had the City of Ottawa considered buying the portion of the old Beachburg Subdivision from Nepean Junction into North Kanata. As it stands now, the second phase of the Confederation Line will not reach Kanata, which is where the largest commuter demand is in Ottawa. North Kanata is an area that is bustling with technology businesses and has a sizeable amount of newer subdivisions. As it stands now, this area will continue to be served by buses for the foreseeable future. Had the city taken a forward-looking approach like Gatineau, who knows what might have been possible?

However, this is the same city that, until it was essentially forced into a corner, was prepared to convert the Prince of Wales Bridge into a pedestrian and cycling path over the bridge. This is also the same city that will not entertain working with CN to get light rail operating on the existing Beachburg Subdivision past Federal junction, a stretch of track that is essentially unused save for two trains on Wednesday. And let’s not forget that before the city, the old Regional Municipality sat on its hands as the old CP Carleton Place Sub was converted into a recreational path (albeit, a wonderful piece of the Trans-Canada Trail). Now, with the explosion of residential development in Stittsville, light rail would provide a welcome option for an area where the roads are at capacity, to say the least.

Where the Canadian used to roam. This is the old Carleton Place Sub in Stittsville, a suburb of the city that now numbers more than 30,000. How useful would this be for light rail now?

The plans for Gatineau’s light rail system are still very much in the early stages, as the environmental assessments and other early legwork need to be done. However, given that the Lachute Sub is in such good shape and the old remnants of the Waltham Sub right-of-way appear to be there for the taking, you have to think that Gatineau is in a much better position than Ottawa was, partly due to planning smarts and partly due to luck.

Either way, there’s a lesson to be learned here. Maybe old rail lines are worth keeping after all.

Side note: While checking out the old Hull West station, I noticed there was a nearby sign that said “CP parking only,” which was obviously overlooked when CP stopped using the Lachute Sub back in the late 1990s. Next to the tracks, there’s a no trespassing sign that asks people to report any untoward activity to CN Police. I wonder why. It’s my understanding that Gatineau owns these tracks. I can’t imagine why that sign would be there. As a contrast, if you go to the entrance to Walkley Yard in Ottawa, you’ll see a no trespassing sign that lists a private security firm’s name and number.

As far as I know, CN’s police has no presence here, which has me wondering about this sign.

Back to the Future in Hull

I recently transferred to a new workplace across the Ottawa River in Hull. I have begun to explore the old part of the city a bit. Luckily for me, I am located across the street from what is known as the Eddy siding. It’s a stretch of track extending from the Prince of Wales Bridge east through the old section of Hull next to the Ottawa River. Despite the fact that the Canadian Pacific ended its Ottawa operations in 1997, a significant portion of its old trackage remains in place in Hull all the way to the old Eddy plant at the corner of rue Eddy and boulevard Alexandre Taché.

With a little struggling through the bush, you can find your way to a little bluff that overlooks this section of track, where the old Eddy siding branches off from the old Lachute Sub.

Doing a little research on this line, the only reference I could find was to the Eddy siding, although I don’t think this line fits the definition of a siding. In its final days, it was definitely just a spur. The spur veered north from the Prince of Wales Bridge toward downtown Hull. At the western edge of the Eddy property next to Portageurs Park, the spur split into two tracks, one of which made its way between two long Eddy buildings before crossing rue Eddy (just north of the Chaudière crossing over the river) and running alongside the old Domtar facility (next to avenue Laurier). The tracks then made their way beneath the Portage Bridge. The rails have been removed east of rue Eddy for years, although their path is unmistakable.

For those who like to track the traces of rails in Ottawa and Gatineau, this little spur is quite a gem. You can walk along much of its existing length in Portageurs Park along the waterfront. The rails are fenced off near the old Eddy plant, but are exposed closer to the Prince of Wales Bridge.

Nature has reclaimed much of the Eddy siding, like this section near Millar Street in Hull (as seen from Portageurs Park

There are a few pieces of interesting reminders of the old railway operation, although I would advise to stay off the tracks. I'm pretty sure the City of Gatineau  owns the Lachute Sub up to Lorrain Boulevard. The city also likely owns the tracks in Hull. Near the Prince of Wales Bridge, there is a fair bit to see legally on public land.

Here’s an old milepost sign near the Lachute Sub tracks (get your zoom ready).

This is an old switch stand that has been left in place.

Here’s an old silver box that has been covered over in weeds and graffiti.

This gives you a glimpse of the bridge that carried the Eddy spur over what is known in English as Brewers Creek. Just west past this bridge, barely visible from boulevard Taché, is another old switch where the Eddy Spur connects with the old Waltham Sub (I think it's the Waltham Sub). Given how long it’s been since the last remnants of the Waltham Sub were dismantled, I was surprised to find this switch still in place.

This flyover is accessible from a nearby park. This bridge was where the Lachute Subdivision passed under what I am assuming was the Canadian Pacific Waltham Subdivision. Can you see the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill?

Here's a shot of the old flyover from beneath.

Also, near the Eddy plant, you can see where the tracks have been severed with a yellow bumper still installed. There is an interesting piece of maintenance equipment on the rails, complete with little wheels. I’m not sure what it is or why it’s even on the tracks.

Here's another shot.

Finding any fairly recent photos of trains on this trackage is not easy online. There may have been some enterprising railfans who took photos of this operation, but I wasn’t able to find anything. Even finding information about the old CP operations in and around Hull is not easy.

In the next little while, I am going to do a little research on the history of the tracks that all once converged in Hull, including the Eddy Spur, the Waltham Sub, the Maniwaki Sub and the Lachute Sub. Given that Gatineau has announced ambitious plans for a light rail line from Aylmer in the city’s west end to old downtown Hull, it seems as though there will be a bit of a railway renaissance in Western Quebec at long last. It’s a shame there is so little existing infrastructure left, but at least the Eddy Spur is still in place, more or less. I would think it has a bright future ahead as a commuter link between Ottawa and Hull.

Fall observations in Ottawa

Fall is here and it's time to get out there to catch some railroad action amid the autumn colours. It's one of the great opportunities for railfans in Canada. With that in mind, I had some time recently to check out some of my usual spots, just to see what was happening along the local tracks.

This first shot shows a string of five hopper cars at the SynAgri feed mill in Twin Elm. Those red hoppers are Potash Corp. hoppers, just like the ones I caught last year in late fall. I thought about trying to catch a train going by the mill, since I was already there and I knew a train from Toronto was due. Unfortunately, the neighbouring farmer hadn't yet harvested the corn, so the visibility to the tracks was limited at best. I grabbed this shot but made a mental note to come back. Capturing a train going by this mill would make a great shot, especially with a string of hoppers parked on the spur.

I returned the next day to get a shot of the mill from Cambrian Road (the above shot was taken from Twin Elm Road). Here we see a Potash hopper and a AEX patched hopper. I think these hoppers are empty and waiting weekend pickup since it appears in the top shot that they were busy unloading the cargo and tarping off large piles next to the tracks.

In the shot below, you can see the first traces of the leaves changing colours. And get a load of the licence plate on the fence. I thought I'd keep that in the shot for some variety.

Speaking of hints of fall, I took this shot at Fallowfield Station recently and caught this fairly typical corridor consist headed west toward Toronto. I was happy with the clouds and the colour of the field next to the station. Again, fall! I'm hoping to catch some fall colours in the railway shots in the coming weeks. Looking through my railway shots, I noticed that my fall collection is a little thin.

As I cruised along the Smiths Falls Sub, I noticed that most of the MoW equipment on the spur in Richmond is gone, which suggests to me that most of the track work in the city has been finished for the summer season, although you will notice that there's a large pile of ballast next to the Via train in the above shot, so maybe there are a few tasks left to finish.

Prince of Wales Bridge

Recently, the city decided to fence off the Prince of Wales Bridge, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's a bad thing since it means there are no immediate plans for the city to use this bridge for commuter rail, which seems like a natural move. However, coupled with this move to fence off the bridge, we have finally heard from city councillors regarding what should be done with this bridge. Happily, we have finally heard from them that the city's long-term plan for the bridge is to indeed use it for light rail, which is the first time we have heard this from the city in a long time. Baby steps...

Many people were disappointed by the move to essentially do nothing with the bridge, since many were pushing for this bridge to be converted to a recreational path. The city says it doesn't have the budget for this. Those who have been using this bridge as an informal recreational path have balked at this and have cut through the fences that now bar people from crossing the river on the old CPR right-of-way. Others staged an informal picnic on the bridge as a way to protest the city's inaction.

City police and bylaw officer intervened and put an end to the impromptu picnic. It should be noted that, although this bridge has been used as a pedestrian crossing for years, it's private property and should not be used. Besides, it has not been maintained properly for years, so there's always the safety issue as well. If that's not enough to dissuade you, the city has warned would-be trespassers that they have dispatched more police and bylaw officers to the area to catch people on the bridge.

One final note. The Municipality of La Pêche in Quebec says it has worked out a deal to bring the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train to town, to use as a static display at the old CPR turntable in Wakefield. Those in the Ottawa area may recall that this steam train was a poplar fixture on the old Canadian Pacific Maniwaki Sub on the Quebec side of the river. The train stopped operating in 2012 when heavy rains washed out part of the track. The owners of the tracks, the municipalities along the line including the City of Gatineau, have not been able to commit the funds to repair the extensive damage to the line.

A number of offers have surfaced over the years to resume operations on the line, but nothing has solidified. So it appears that the rail line will more than likely not see any more trains. Creating a display in Wakefield isn't a bad idea, since there have been suggestions that the rolling stock and engine used on this line could be scrapped if nothing is done to resume operations. Curiously, the steam train operated with Swedish equipment, so any display in Wakefield will not celebrate the trains that actually operated on the Maniwaki Sub, but will remember the equipment that was purchased to operate the steam train.

There have been a few mentions in the local coverage that there are still efforts to find an operator for a seasonal tourist rail operation. We can only hope, since it would be a shame to see this amazingly scenic line scrapped.

The curious case of the Prince of Wales Bridge

On my recent trip aboard the O-Train, I noticed that Ottawa's Capital Railway at Bayview no longer connects to the former CP trackage that leads to the Prince of Wales Bridge. Instead, the old CP tracks have been buried by ballast, thus severing their connection to the Capital Railway. These tracks, it should be noted, pass through the old City of Hull along the old Maniwaki Sub. This sub is still technically intact to Wakefield, since it is the home of the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train. This tourist train, it should be noted, is in all likelihood a lost cause since storm damage to the line is too expensive for local governments, who own the line, to fix.

But getting back to Ottawa, I was a little surprised by the disconnection at Bayview, although it sadly makes sense given Ottawa's utter lack of vision when it comes to its railway infrastructure. I wandered over to the end of the Capital Railway the other day to take a few shots. Here's a shot below of the buried connection (almost dead centre) taken from the Somerset Street overpass.

This connection, as you can see on the left, still bears witness to the time when the line was part of CP's Ellwood Subdivision.

The other side of the sign reads "CAP" which obviously stands for the Capital Railway, which is the official name of the O-Train operation in the city as it stands right now.

This severed connection is not, on its own, a big deal, but it takes on more significance given what has happened on the other side of the river in recent years.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the bridge connects to Lemieux Island in the Ottawa River, which marks the official end of the Quebec Gatineau Railway, a shortline owned by Genesee and Wyoming. I was doing some research on this railway the other day, trying to figure out where I could go to shoot it, but discovered that it no longer operates in Gatineau, since its main customer on the river, a former pulp mill, has been closed for years. Even more discouraging, I failed to realize that the railway has severed its connection to the tracks in Gatineau, including the stretch leading to this bridge. The furthest west the railway comes is Thurso, while a local continues to serve the Buckingham spur. Much of the QGR right-of-way in Gatineau has been transformed into a controversial rapid bus transit system, which has garnered mixed reviews from residents of the city.

What does this mean for the Prince of Wales Bridge?

Well, it means it is truly on its own for the time being, until such time that the powers that be in Ottawa and Gatineau, not to mention other levels of government, decide to establish a commuter rail link between Ottawa and Gatineau on the remaining trackage. This continues to be a no-go for local politicians, for reasons that escape me.

In the fall, there was a call from city staff to transform the bridge into a recreational pathway for bikes and pedestrians by 2019. This would be a great link, but it also prevents the capital region from realizing the transit opportunity the bridge represents. The report outlined that the city is hoping to do something with the bridge by 2025. In other words, there are no plans. In fact, despite pleas from transportation advocates, the city is not even maintaining the bridge.

This is what the bridge looks like these days, starting with a view from the Ottawa River Pathway.

And a view of the tracks leading to the bridge, just past the end of the Capital Railway. You will notice, compared to shots I took at a similar time last year (see Prince of Wales link above), the foliage is a little late in arriving this year.

And a shot of the Prince of Wales marquis (or is it Ince of Walcs?)

On the plus side, work on the new passing sidings on the Capital Railway has finally been completed, although the new Alstom trainsets have yet to be placed into service. The new sidings have also led to new signalling equipment. Here's a shot of a southbound Bombardier trainset from the Somerset Street overpass.

I have not heard any news as to when these trains will give way to the new Alstom trains, although I would suspect that the new trains will be put into service before the coming school year, since Carleton University, at the half-way point of the Capital Railway, represents one of the biggest sources of O-Train ridership. The new O-Trains are no longer parked in Walkley Yard during the day, so I assume they are being tested somewhere. I dropped by Walkley recently and saw no trace of the new trainsets.

Ottawa's Forgotten Prince of Wales Bridge

One of my favourite railway spots in Ottawa is the Prince of Wales bridge across the Ottawa River. The bridge was originally opened in 1881 by a railway known as the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway. The following year, the Canadian Pacific bought the QMO&O and took control of the bridge. In 1927, it was rebuilt to accommodate newer, heavier loads. For decades, it was a vital link along the Canadian Pacific Railway's national network, when that network operated through Ottawa. The bridge connected CP's Ellwood Subdivision in the Ottawa area with the railway's Maniwaki Subdivision from the old City of Hull to Maniwaki, Que.

In recent years, the fate of this bridge has taken a few strange turns and its future is uncertain. After the Canadian Pacific ended its operations in Ottawa in 1997, the bridge was in limbo. CP's Ellwood Sub and a portion of its old Prescott Sub were purchased by the City of Ottawa for its eight kilometre O-Train commuter service, which began operation in 2001. In 2005, the city purchased the bridge, which has sat dormant since 2001. The thought at the time of purchase was that the bridge would play a vital role in any commuter rail system in the National Capital Region, which includes Gatineau, Que. Since that time, any talk of extending the O-Train to Quebec has been met with deafening silence or outright hostility. I find this reluctance baffling, since Ottawa and Gatineau already co-operate by allowing their commuter buses to cross the river. There has been talk of converting the bridge to a pedestrian crossing as well.

Let's take a short tour of the bridge.

As you walk along the bridge (above photo), you will see six spans on the Ottawa side leading to Lemieux Island, in the middle of the river. The island is part of Ottawa and connected to the city via a causeway in addition to the rail bridge. The island is home to a water treatment plant.

What you see below is the view from the Ottawa side heading north toward the old City of Hull. The Prince of Wales marquee atop the bridge has been left to the mercy of the elements, like the rest of the bridge.





























Below: Once you reach Lemieux Island, the first part of the Prince of Wales bridge ends, giving way to a span of overgrown track and an old switch that once led to the water treatment plant. The switch has been left in place but the spur has been severed.

Below: As you walk across the island, you come up to the second part of the bridge, which is seven spans long on the Quebec side. Interesting fact: The Ottawa River goes by the name Rivière des Outaouais in French, which is also the name of the region that includes Gatineau.

Below: Once you step foot in Quebec, the old Ellwood Sub gives way to the former Maniwaki Sub. This is where things get a little confusing. Since the City of Ottawa bought the bridge and the approaches, this means the City of Ottawa owns property in the City of Gatineau. This section of track is also considered the end of the Quebec-Gatineau Railway, since that railway technically starts at Lemieux Island. At one point, the railway still used trackage near this bridge to access the nearby E.B. Eddy factory, which made paper products, mainly matches. The rails to that facility, now owned by Domtar, were pulled up in recent years. You can also see another old track crossing over the former Maniwaki Sub below. The track has been lifted.

Once you walk under the crossover, the tracks will lead you to the old Hull Station, near the Casino du Lac Leamy. The old Maniwaki Sub is owned by municipal governments in the Outaouais region. The municipality owns a heritage steam train operation that goes to Chelsea and Wakefield, Que. That operation has been dormant for several years since the rail line was damaged by heavy flooding. Local officials hope to have the train operational next summer, since the steam train is a huge tourist draw.

Locals do cross the Prince of Wales bridge often, but I should warn you that it is not a pedestrian crossing by any means. I did cross it once for the purposes of this blog, but as a public service, would advise you not to cross it yourself.

Beachburg Subdivision Update:  Please see my post from earlier this week for an update on the fate of the Beachburg Subdivision.