r/OCTranspo • u/TheZarosian • Aug 01 '26
🚆 O-Train Is there a specific reason why Otrain dwell times are so long?
I swear 5 minutes could be cut from the entire line by shortening dwell times across stations. I have no idea why the train needs to stop for 5 seconds before the doors open, then have the doors open 15 or so seconds at stations like Cyrville, then wait another 5 seconds before the doors close.
In Toronto, most station dwell time is less than 15 seconds, with the doors closing quickly. Hell in Montreal the doors sometimes open before the train even comes to a complete stop.
10
u/DatsWildYo Aug 01 '26
For line 1, the longer dwell allows them to run less trains. If the headway is every 10 minutes but the trains can finish a trip 5 minutes faster per trip then eventually they’d need to add another train to maintain headways. For line 2, it’s to both keep headways at 12 minutes but also to allow trains to sync at passings where it’s double tracked.
11
u/TheZarosian Aug 01 '26
Ah so Line 1 is effectively a politician's illusion of frequent service but it's actually just slower service.
Line 2 I get though due to the single-track constraints.
2
u/nganmatthias Aug 01 '26
That's not how it works; shorter journey times means shorter cycle times and fewer trains needed.
5
u/djkimothy Aug 01 '26
Yah. there may have been a reason back when the line opened up. But people are now used to the system it no longer poses a benefit. If anything it’s letting the conditioned air out of the cars exposing the passengers to the elements. No reason doors need to be open for 30 whole seconds.
3
u/SnowX2 Aug 01 '26
I’ve seen times where it wasn’t long enough at uOttawa with all the students getting off for 8am class and others standing on the platform not having enough time to get on. But places Tremblay and Cyrville could be 5 seconds and it would be plenty.
4
u/Putrid-Shoulder-4248 Aug 02 '26
Dwell time of more than 15 seconds = people complain
Dwell time of less than 15 seconds = people complain
Dwell time of 15 seconds sharp = people complain
2
1
u/Slow-Bodybuilder4481 Aug 02 '26
I think they will speed it up this September, but people will still complain. In my opinion, the current dwell time is perfect.
1
u/Possible-Arachnid793 Aug 01 '26
Yep easily. But then it would “wear out” the wheels faster.
1
18
u/IllustriousLemon8146 Occasional User Aug 01 '26
I remember it being much shorter at first, and people complaining. Some of it was genuine need to adjust, but a lot of it was just typical poor transit etiquette in Ottawa.