Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! Today, we’re gonna show you around Lyon station,
one of the downtown stations on Ottawa’s new O-Train Line 1 light rail system, and
one of our favourite stations here.
The downtown stations are all underground stations, and they are large and grand, able
to accommodate the busy central area of our nation's capital. Come check out Lyon station
with us, and enjoy the first station focus video on the O-Train system!
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Located just west of Canada’s parliament hill, Lyon is the fourth station from the
western terminus of Tunney’s Pasture on the newly minted Confederation Line, and is
the westernmost station in Ottawa’s downtown core,
being the first station in the downtown tunnel.
The station itself is located roughly at the intersection of Queen and Lyon streets, and
we’re about to enter the station through the Queen Street / Place de Ville entrance,
just east of the intersection.
The station entrance is very noticeable with the iconic O-Train red donut logo displayed
prominently outside on a pole, and you’ll find the red O ingrained throughout the design
of the system, including the station interior and exterior,
and of course the trains as well.
This entrance is a wide accessible entrance featuring elevators on one end and a set of
stairs and escalators on the other. Here you can find a map of the surrounding area, as
well as general info on the station and the system itself.
And most noticeable of all here is definitely the art installation displayed proudly on
the wall here, as well as throughout the three topmost levels of the station.
The art piece is titled This Image Relies on Positive Thinking by Geoff McFetridge,
and it features playful figures doing chores and daily tasks
that are mundane and often overlooked but are important in our lives.
Heading down the stairs to the second level of the station, we find an intermediate level
that serves as a bit of a breather between all the stairs, and more importantly a connection
to the Place de Ville office tower complex located right above the station.
This building complex features offices and two large hotels and also includes tower C,
which is the tallest building in Ottawa. This is definitely a great connection to use on
snowy winter days when you just don’t want to step outside.
And of course, we see more parts of This Image Relies on Positive Thinking all the way down
here and on this level as well, which makes the slightly uncomfortably long trip down
to concourse level that much more bearable.
Running down another flight of stairs and we have finally arrived at the concourse level.
The concourse is very long as it spans the whole length of the LRT platform, and it is
brightly lit even if you’re here at the dead of night like we were.
The ceilings are decorated with these pieces of metal painted yellow, which is definitely
the predominant colour scheme for this whole station, and may or may not be because of
the yellow coats on actual lions. Either way, the bright and warm yellow makes the station
seem very welcoming, and it really was a great station to start our O-Train Line 1 adventure at.
Before we enter the fare paid zone though, we are greeted by the ticket vending machines
and fare gates. All stations on the O-Train system are automated with no collector’s
booth, similar to some of the entrances at the newest TTC subway stations, but for the
first few months of the LRT’s operation at least, there will be OC Transpo staff here
on-site to help you with anything if you get stuck.
The Ticket vending machines are similar to Toronto’s as they use the same Presto system,
besides the fact that they are recessed flush with the wall, and they’ve got a nice coat
of OC Transpo red and white. They also currently still vend out the special OC Transpo Presto
cards, so grab those before they’re gone for good.
A special feature of these ticket vending machines is definitely the video chat feature,
which you can use to talk to a remote OC Transpo staffer for help, or if you have a free fare
from a sporting event or something of that sort.
The fare gates here are of the same style as the TTC subway as well with the plastic
doors that swing open, but they do have a nice addition of a QR code/barcode reader,
which can be used by local students holding a U-Pass or any other special fare of that sort.
Alright, now is the prime time to tap into the Proof-Of-Payment area and take a peek
before we head down to the trains.
As we’ve mentioned before, the concourse is ridiculously long and requires no small
feat just to walk to the other end, but thankfully that’s rarely needed as it does feature
tons and tons of vertical access with numerous sets of escalators, stairs, and elevators,
which is something we really appreciate about the new system.
In the middle of the concourse is the other art piece belonging to the station. The art
piece titled With Words as their Actions is a metal sculpture by PLANT architect, and
it consists of words punched out on a wavy metal ribbon, recounting stories told by women
who are often sidelined in history but keep the tales alive.
Some other nice features on the concourse include water fountains, emergency call buttons,
lean bars, a nice little busker area, and just the sheer number of signs to make sure
you always know where you’re going even if you are confused about that in life.
Descending down a final portion of stairs, and we finally arrive at the four stories
and 17-meter deep platform level of the station. Still grand and roomy, this pair of side platforms
are definitely closer to a traditional heavy metro station than, say, the underground streetcar
stations of Toronto, even if the low floors and the closeness of the tracks are a bit
jarring at first.
The platform is filled with the yellow colour scheme as well, with yellow strips framing
the station’s name on the walls. One aspect you’ll definitely notice early on with being
in an O-Train Line 1 station is the constant announcements that are extremely helpful for
distracted riders like me, and we really love the amount of information and contact we get
from the system.
Platform features include digital signs that display the arrival times for the next two
trains, nice benches and garbage disposal bins, and a designated waiting area branded
Transecure that additionally feature a telephone, maps, as well as a very advanced looking AED
for emergency situations.
The downtown stations actually have platforms that are 120 meters long, compared to the
90 meters at other stations, which was put in for longer trains to use in the future.
Here at Lyon station, some lengths of it are blocked off for now until future upgrades
necessitate them.
And of course, this is where you can spot the beautiful Confederation Line trains running
through the station, and where you can catch a train towards either Tunney’s Pasture
station or Blair station. Enjoy a few select shots of the O-Train!
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Alright, leaving the rest of the railfanning to another video, we’re gonna walk to the
other end of the platform, and head upstairs to check out the second entrance of Lyon station.
This is the station entrance located right at the intersection of Lyon and Queen, and
it is a standalone building above ground this time instead of nestled into a building.
A few flights of very long escalators connect us to the outside world, but you can again
enjoy another part of the beautiful artwork by Geoff McFetridge as you make your way through
a much smaller intermediate level this time to get to the entrance.
Out here, you'll find a worksite for a future development coming to this intersection, as
well as a couple of bus shelters that serve as another transit connection besides the
LRT. Ottawa's downtown is served well by buses, and bus routes serving this stop include the
routes 10, 15, 16, 17, N57, N67, and the N75.
And besides the connection to Place de Ville that we mentioned before, Lyon also serves
as a great way to get to the Supreme Court of Canada, the National Archives, and just
generally a great place to start your Downtown Ottawa explorations if you're in the mood
for that.
On that note, I think it's time for us to hop on the train, and go explore another station
in the O-Train system.
Thanks for watching guys, we really hope you enjoyed the first installment of our O-Train
station focus series: more Ottawa videos will be coming, we promise, and we didn't forget
about the Trillium line so be on the lookout for videos on that part of the system as well.
Like, subscribe, and let us know your opinion on the newly opened Confederation line and
its stations down in the comments below. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and definitely
consider supporting us on Patreon so that we can go to more transit system openings
like this one and bring you guys some fresh footage.
Thanks for watching guys, and we'll see you in the next one!
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