Rideau

Overview

​Rideau Station is one of the three downtown underground stations along the Confederation Line. This station is the deepest in the O-Train network with the platforms reaching 26.5 metres below ground, a necessity to allow the tunnel to pass underneath the nearby Rideau Canal. This station is the second busiest on the O-Train network due to its proximity to many tourist attractions, its connection to the CF Rideau Centre shopping mall and its location at the gateway to the Byward Market.

As this station is located underground, station entrances are integrated into several surrounding buildings. The CF Rideau Centre features most of the entrances, available inside and outside of the shopping mall. One entrance is located on the exterior facade of the building at the corner of Sussex and Rideau Streets. Two other entrances are located within the CF Rideau Centre, one on Level 1 between Shoppers Drug Mart and Farmboy, and the second next to EBX and across from Tim Hortons, which is an accessible entrance via elevators to the concourse. The final entrance is located across the street at the corner of Rideau and William Streets, and is integrated into the ground floor of a ScotiaBank branch.

The station's layout is such that the two entrances do not link at the concourse level without having to pass through the fare gates.

The main concourse as well as the station platforms are very impressive due to the soaring ceiling in the central section of the station's volume. This allows visitors the opportunity to watch arriving and departing trains from above and view the flow of passengers from a distance.

At the platform level, located 26.5 metres below ground, the main colour is blue, reflected in the accents on the walls at either end.

Overall, Rideau Station is one of the true highlights of the Confederation Line, with its large sight-lines affording views of train movements, as well as the stations design and architecture, in addition to the public art exhibit corridor and the busker position on the concourse.

Unique Features

The most unique feature of Rideau Station is its depth, with the platforms reaching 26.5 metres below Rideau Street. Thanks in part to its extreme depth, ​Rideau Station features the "Longest Escalator" in a Canadian transit system. It is approximately 35.3 metres long and rises 15.8 metres, with 181 steps. This escalator can be accessed by either the CF Rideau Centre or the Sussex and Rideau entrances. The second entrance at Rideau and William Streets in the Byward Market, features 4 shorter escalators to reach the station's concourse. The depth is due to the need for the tunnel to pass underneath the Rideau Canal.

Another interesting feature of Rideau Station is that it also contains the most elevators and escalators in the O-Train network, with a total of 18 escalators and 8 elevators.

Corridor 45 | 75 is located between the "Longest Escalator" and the concourse fare gates. This area is known as Ottawa's Underground Art Space, and stretches 25 metres in length. It is one of three professional galleries managed by the City of Ottawa Public Art Program, with the goal offering a space for exploration of diverse ideas. The initial exhibit is a display on all of the public art visible in the 13 initial Confederation Line stations (from Blair to Tunney's Pasture).

Station Map

Places of Interest

Station Facts 

• Opening Date: September 14, 2019
• Line: Confederation Line
• Previous Station: uOttawa (995 metres)
• Following Station: Parliament (725 metres)
• Platform Depth: 26.5 metres below ground (Deepest)
  

• Entrances: 4
• Fare Gates:​ 15
  
• Fare Vending Machines: ​4
• Elevators: 8 (Highest - tied with Lyon)
• Escalators: 18 (Highest Number)

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