Ottawa’s transit runs on one backbone — OC Transpo — which operates the buses and all three O-Train light-rail lines on a single fare. Tap a Presto card or a contactless bank card and you’re covered across the whole network, including a direct rail link to the airport that opened in 2025.
The basics
The O-Train is the rail network, in three lines:
- Line 1 (Confederation Line) — the original line, running Tunney’s Pasture to Blair through downtown. Opened in 2019.
- Line 2 (Trillium Line) — a north–south diesel light-rail line from Bayview to Limebank. Opened in 2025.
- Line 4 (the Airport Link) — a short connector from South Keys straight to Ottawa International Airport (YOW). Also opened in 2025.
Around the rail lines, OC Transpo runs an extensive bus network covering the rest of the city, plus Para Transpo, door-to-door paratransit for riders who can’t use conventional service. Further east and west extensions to the O-Train (Stage 2) are currently under construction.
Across the river in Gatineau, Québec, buses are run by a separate agency, the STO — a different fare system, but one that overlaps with OC Transpo’s (more on that below).
How to pay
Tap a Presto card, a contactless bank card, or your phone directly at a bus reader or an O-Train fare gate — same fare either way. Cash also works on buses (exact change).
- O-Train stations are gated: you tap or scan to get onto the platform, unlike a typical proof-of-payment system.
- Buses have no gates — tap the reader as you board, and keep your proof of payment handy, since OC Transpo’s Transit Fare Enforcement Officers check buses and trains for it.
- A physical Presto card costs $4 up front — that price is set by Metrolinx (Ontario’s regional transit-fare agency), not OC Transpo.
Fares
| Card (Presto / debit / credit) | Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $4.10 | $4.15 |
| Senior (65+) | $3.28 | — |
| Pre-teen (11–12) | $2.05 | — |
| EquiPass / Community Pass | $1.75 | — |
| Child (0–10) | Free | Free |
Reduced fares (senior, pre-teen, EquiPass, Community Pass) must be paid with a registered Presto card. There’s also an adult monthly pass ($138.50) and day passes if you’re visiting for a while: 1-day ($12.25), 3-day ($30.75), 5-day ($49.00), and 7-day ($58.00).
One local quirk worth knowing: seniors (65+) ride free on conventional OC Transpo service every Wednesday and Sunday.
Getting from the airport
YOW has two official OC Transpo connections — no separate airport fare, just the regular fare above:
- O-Train Line 4 — direct from Airport Station to South Keys Station, where you change to Line 2 and then Line 1 to continue downtown. Runs 6am to midnight. Tap or scan your fare at the station gates.
- Route 105 bus — runs 24 hours a day, every 30 minutes. During the day it runs between Uplands Drive (at the airport) and St-Laurent Station; late at night it continues through to Rideau Station downtown — useful if you’re landing after the train stops running.
No official source publishes a travel time for either route to downtown, so take that into account when timing a connection.
Apps to download
- PRESTO — manage your card balance or add a virtual Presto card to your phone’s wallet.
- Transit — real-time arrivals and trip planning across OC Transpo’s buses and the O-Train.
- Google Maps or Apple Maps — fine for straightforward trip planning with live OC Transpo data.
When it runs
O-Train Line 1 is the backbone through downtown: on weekdays trains come about every 4 minutes at peak, thinning to roughly every 6 minutes through the midday, starting around 5am and continuing until just after 1am. Saturday service starts around 6am and runs to about 2am; Sunday service runs roughly 8am to 11pm.
Buses and the other O-Train lines run on their own, less frequent schedules — check the Transit app for a specific route.
Accessibility
OC Transpo describes its entire bus and O-Train fleet as fully accessible. Para Transpo offers door-to-door service for riders who can’t use conventional transit; it requires advance registration (613-244-7272 for reservations, 613-560-5000 for accessible customer service).
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap in at the O-Train fare gates — it’s a closed system, unlike the honor-system buses, so you need a valid tap or scan to reach the platform.
- Heading to Gatineau? Your OC Transpo monthly pass, day pass, O-Train ticket, or PRESTO e-transfer all work on STO buses across the river. It doesn’t run the other way, though — STO’s own e-wallet and paper tickets can’t start a trip on OC Transpo; you need a QR-coded transfer or pass.
Good to know
- OC Transpo’s Transit Fare Enforcement Officers check for proof of payment on both buses and at O-Train stations.
- The O-Train network is still growing — Stage 2 extensions east and west of the current lines are under construction.
- If you’re commuting from Gatineau, a monthly OC Transpo pass has to be first validated on an OC Transpo vehicle before it’ll work on STO buses.