OC Transpo Early Morning Service

OC Transpo Early Morning Service was a special transit service offered by OC Transpo in Ottawa, Canada for customers who had an early start to their day. These routes operated Monday - Friday from 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM, with some 800 series routes offering additional service on Saturday from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM. Only regular routes that offer early morning trips provide early morning service on Sundays.

Early Morning Service routes provided quick and convenient connections to major roads, Transitway stations, and OC Transpo Bus Garages.

As of December 19th, 2010, all Early Morning Service Routes have been retired and replaced by early morning service on regular routes.

List of Previous 800 Series Routes

Small List of 800 Series Routes That Operated for OC Transpo

Route

Destination

824

Beacon Hill - St. Laurent

825

Place d'Orléans - Hurdman

829

St. Laurent - Downtown

830

Orléans - Local North

835

Local - Place d'Orléans

837

Local - Place d'Orléans

846

Greenboro - Billings Bridge

873

Greenbank - Colonnade

874

Baseline - Nepean Centre/Baseline

891

Lincoln Fields/Billings Bridge - St. Laurent

Early Morning Service Signage

Not all bus stops offered early morning service. In order for OC Transpo to notify customers at stops and stations if their stop offered early morning service, they had to come up with a way to notify customers that there was indeed early morning service at their stop/station. In September 2000 when OC Transpo announced that they were changing their bus stop flags after having the same design for 28 years, they came with a solution which would make it easier to identify a stop with early morning service; the sun.

Bus stops.

Symbol used at bus stops to indicate that bus service is offered after 4:00 AM|none

This is the symbol that was used at bus stops that offered early morning service by either regular routes or routes in the 800 series. This was used at some Transitway stations, but only if the bus sign was dedicated to early morning service routes. This symbol would be posted on the top left side of the bus sign.

Transitway Stations.

Symbol used at Transitway stations to indicate that bus service is offered after 4:00 AM|none

This is the symbol that was used at bus stations that offered early morning service by either regular routes or routes in the 800 series. This symbol would be posted along the platform identifier located on the top left side of the bus sign.

Route 824 (Beacon Hill - St. Laurent)

Route 824 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Beacon Hill Shopping Centre, through Beacon Hill, Gloucester Centre (Blair Station), to St. Laurent Station. This route also ran on Saturdays from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM.

History:

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 5, 7, 124, and 129  

Branches

St. Laurent direction

  • 824 St Laurent

Points of Interest/Popular Locations:

  • Beacon Hill Shopping Centre
  • Gloucester Centre
  • Montfort Hospital
  • St. Laurent Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 824 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 824

825 (Place d’Orléans - Hurdman)

Route 825 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Place d'Orléans Station, through Orléans, Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview and St. Laurent Shopping Centre (St. Laurent Station), to Hurdman Station. This route also ran on Saturdays from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM.

History:

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 94, 126, and 130.

Branches

Hurdman direction

  • 825 Hurdman

Points of Interest/Popular Locations:

  • Place d'Orléans Shopping Centre
  • Pineview Golf Course
  • OC Transpo St. Laurent Bus Garage
  • St. Laurent Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 825 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 825

(2002)|none
(1996)|none

Route 829 (St. Laurent - Downtown)

Route 829 was an early morning service route that ran from St. Laurent Station, through the surrounding community of St. Laurent, Montreal Road, Old St. Patrick street, to the downtown core. This route also ran on Saturdays from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM.

History:

September 5th, 2004: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 2, and 7.1

June 22nd, 2008: Route is fully reinstated.

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes  5, and 18.2

Branches:

Downtown direction / St. Laurent direction

  • 829 Downtown / 829 St. Laurent

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • St. Laurent Shopping Centre
  • Montreal Road
  • Byward Market
  • Rideau Centre

Vehicles used: Route 829 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Map for 829

(2009)|none

Route 830 (Place d'Orléans - Local North)

Route 830 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Place d’Orléans Station, through the surrounding community of Orléans, then back to Place d’Orléans Station. This route also ran on Saturdays from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM.

History:

September 3rd, 2000: New early morning service route that replaces early morning trips on route 120.3

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by regular route 130, providing all day service including early morning service.4

Branches

Place d’Orléans direction / Orléans Local direction

  • 830 Orléans / 830 Local

Points of Interest/Popular Locations:

  • Place d’Orléans Station
  • Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 830 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 830

(2009)|none
(2000)|none

Route 835 (Local - Place d'Orléans)

Route 835 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Place d’Orléans Station, through the surrounding community of Orléans, then back to Place d’Orléans Station.

History:

April 6th, 1997:  Was changed to travel via Centrum instead of St. Joseph between Prestone and Place d'Orléans Drive.5

September 3rd, 2000: Westbound buses to Place d’Orléans use St. Joseph instead of Centrum. Eastbound buses remain on Centrum.6

September 5th, 2004: Route is shortened to start at Innes / Tenth Line. No longer serves Portobello Boulevard or Centrum.7

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 94, 120, and 130.8

Branches

Place d’Orléans direction / Orléans Local direction

  • 835 Orléans / 835 Local

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • Place d’Orléans Station
  • Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 835 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 835

(2004)|none
(2000)|none

Route 837 (Local - Place d'Orléans)

Route 837 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Place d’Orléans Station, through the surrounding community of Orléans, then back to Place d’Orléans Station. This route use to offer Saturday service from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM prior to September 5th, 2004.

History:

September 5th, 2004: Route is shortened to start at Jeanne d’Arc and St. Joseph. No longer serves St. Joseph Boulevard, no longer provides service on Saturdays.9

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by regular route 130, providing all day service including early morning service.10

Branches

Place d’Orléans direction / Orléans Local direction

  • 837 Orléans / 837 Local

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • Place d’Orléans Station
  • Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 837 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 837

(2004)|none
(2001)|none

Route 846 (Greenboro - Billings Bridge)

Route 846 was a one-way early morning service route that ran only once Monday - Saturday at 5:15 AM from Greenboro to South Keys stations, through the surrounding community of South Keys / Uplands, Walkley Road, to the southern Transitway from Walkley to Billings Bridge Stations. This route also operated on Saturdays

History:

August 29th, 1999: Route is cancelled and replaced by regular route 146 which provides early morning service between Greenboro & Billings Bridge station.11

Branches

Billings Bridge direction

  • 846 Billings Bridge

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • South Keys Shopping Centre
  • Billings Bridge Shopping Centre

Vehicles used: Route 846 used a variety of high floor bus models, including; GMDD T6H-5307N, TC40-102N, TC40-102N Classic, OBI Orion 05.501, and Nova Bus TC40-102A Classic.

Route Map for 846

(1997)

Route 873 (Greenbank - Colonnade)

Route 873 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Greenbank, through the surrounding community of Nepean South, to the OC Transpo Colonnade Bus Garage. This route use to offer Saturday service from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM prior to original cancellation of the route.

History:

December 24th, 2000: Route is cancelled and replaced with early morning trips on routes 173 and 177.12 (Click on route 873 on website)

April 22nd, 2001: Reinstated on weekdays in the early morning to operate from Barrhaven via Fallowfield Station, Woodroffe, Baseline Station, Baseline road, and Greenbank to Queensview Terrance. No longer provides Saturday service.13

September 5th, 2004: Route no longer serves Britannia area (OC Transpo Pinecrest Garage). Route now serves Craig Henry / Knoxdale, and OC Transpo Colonnade Bus Garage, replacing route 874.14

September 5th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 170, 172, 181, and 95.15

Branches

Colonnade direction

  • 873 Colonnade

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • Strandherd Shopping Centre
  • Barrhaven Shopping Centre
  • Fallowfield VIA Rail Train Station (Fallowfield Station)
  • Baseline Station (Algonquin College)
  • OC Transpo Colonnade Bus Garage

Vehicles used: Route 873 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 873

(2004)|none
(2001)|none

Route 874 (Baseline - Nepean Centre/Baseline)

Route 874 was a one-way early morning service route that ran from Baseline Station, through the surrounding community of Nepean, then back to Baseline Station. This route use to offer Saturday service from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM prior to the September 5th, 2004 cancellation.

History:

September 5th, 2004: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning service route 873.16

Branches

Baseline direction / Local direction

  • 874 Baseline / 874 Nepean Centre

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • Algonquin College

Vehicles used: Route 874 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses.

Route Maps for 874

(2004)|none
(2000)|none

Route 891 (Lincoln Fields / Billings Bridge - St. Laurent)

Route 891 was an early morning service route that ran from Lincoln Fields Station, through Baseline Road (and Station), Merivale, Colonnade, Hunt Club Road, Southern Transitway from South Keys Station to Hurdman, Eastern Transitway from Hurdman to Train Station, Belfast Road, St. Laurent Boulevard, to St. Laurent Station. Westbound trips start at St. Laurent / Belfast and end at Queensview Terrance (OC Transpo Pinecrest Garage). This route also ran on Saturdays from 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM but only from Billings Bridge Station to St. Laurent Station; westbound trips still started at St. Laurent / Belfast.

History:

September 5th, 2004: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 95, 96, and 873.

June 22nd, 2008: Route is reinstated with some modifications; route only serves Lincoln Fields & St. Laurent Stations eastbound, trips start at St. Laurent / Belfast with weekday trips ending at Queensview Terrance  (OC Transpo Pinecrest Garage). Route no longer serves Prince of Wales Drive, Brookfield Road, Heron Road, Riverside Drive, and Data Centre Road as it bypasses them by turning right onto Hunt Club Road after Colonnade instead. Bypassing these roads allowed for the route to serve Hunt Club Road as well as South Keys, Greenboro, Walkley, & Heron stations.

December 19th, 2010: Route is cancelled and replaced by early morning trips on routes 95, & 96. Route 116 provides Colonnade & Hunt Club Road with early morning service while morning peak trips are extended to cover the rest of the southern Transitway stations from Greenboro to Hurdman.

Branches

St. Laurent direction / Queensview direction / Billings Bridge direction

              891 St. Laurent / 891 Britannia / 891 Billings Bridge

Points of Interest/Popular Locations

  • Queensview Terrance (OC Transpo Pinecrest Garage) *Pre 2008*
  • Baseline Station (Algonquin College)
  • Colonnade (OC Transpo Colonnade Garage)
  • South Keys Station (South Keys Shopping Centre)
  • Greenboro Station (O-Train)
  • Billings Bridge Station (Billings Bridge Shopping Centre)
  • Riverside Station (Riverside Hospital)
  • Hurdman Station
  • Train Station (VIA Rail)
  • St. Laurent Station (St. Laurent Shopping Centre)

Vehicles used: Route 891 used a variety of bus models. They could of been almost anything from high floor, low floor, to articulated buses. Though due to the popularity of this route in addition to the amount of high floor buses being pulled out of service, it was mainly served by low floor buses like NFI D40i, BIA Orion VI, and Nova Bus LFS.

Route Maps for 891

(2008)|none
(1999)|none