Take a sneak peek inside Ottawa's new Swiss-made trains

They look a lot like the Confederation Line trains Ottawa commuters know well, with their blue seats, yellow handrails and the same staccato "Doors. Opening." voice. 

But OC Transpo's new diesel-powered Trillium Line trains bear some distinctive marks from both their light-rail counterparts and the older trains that ran on the line before it shut down in 2020 for a major expansion.

And several residents who got a sneak peek at the sample trains parked Saturday at Greenboro station on the first day of Doors Open Ottawa said they seem more spacious. 

"There's a huge improvement in the doors," said Bernie Geiger.

"The old trains only had two doors for a certain length. These new ones now have four doors and the doors are much wider .... It used to be quite a squeeze to get through the doors on the old trains."

The seats met with Geiger's approval, too.

"It's good back support, good bit of head rest as well," he said. "Comfortable for people coming all the way from Riverside South heading to Bayview." 

The new trains are branded "Stadler," after their Swiss manufacturer. That also sets them apart from the problem-plagued Alstom vehicles that have been operating on the Confederation Line. 

Carol Davies also liked what she saw Saturday, but she had one concern. 

"I'm not as happy with the small steps because ... you can trip on them," she said. "[Would] be nice if they were a ramp."

Here are more photos from Saturday's sneak preview. The $1.2-billion Trillium Line extension — one part of Ottawa's much larger Stage 2 rail expansion — is expected to open later this year.