Which "starts" did they announce that didn't happen?
I'll reference later, but the now announced Trillium extension was first announced at least once about six years ago.
Btw: An aspect of "double tracking" the line not realized by some posters is the contamination (considerable according to some reports) of the land under the RoW. It's a case of "leave well-enough alone" on that, as to even relay the present track invokes mandatory cleanups, and an expensive one. It will have to be done at some point, and the contamination isn't consistent along the length, so passing loops could/would be the best option for now, and that is being considered.
Again, I've glossed over many reports and plans, and not noted them, there are so many, but Googling for "contamination trillium line ottawa" (or sub "pollution" for "contamination" to get some different hits) takes you to some of the reference. The airport spur is especially problematic, but again, I'm loathe to quantify it without having reference handy.
Edit to Add: Quick Google shows:
[...]
Early extension plans
Main article:
O-Train § Early extension plans
In July 2006, Ottawa City Council approved the north-south light rail expansion project. The project would have terminated diesel light rail service on the Trillium Line so as to reuse its right-of-way for a double-track, electric light rail line that would have extended west from the
University of Ottawa to
Bayview then south to
Leitrim and then west to
Barrhaven. However. in December, 2006, Ottawa City Council cancelled this project, thus leaving the diesel-powered Trillium Line unchanged.
[...]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium_Line
From the "Main article" link just above:
[...]
According to the plan, the line was to be extended east from its current northern terminus to run through LeBreton Flats and downtown Ottawa as far as the University of Ottawa, and south-west from its
Greenboro terminus to the growing
Riverside South community and
Barrhaven. Much of the route would have run through the undeveloped Riverside South area to allow a large new suburb to be constructed in the area south of the airport. The line would not have connected to the airport. Construction of the extension was scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2006, resulting in the shutdown of operations in May 2007, and been completed in autumn 2009 with operations resuming under the new systems and rolling stock.
The diesel-powered Talents would have been replaced with electric
trams more suitable for on-street operation in the downtown area, by the
Siemens S70 Avanto (due to the ‘design, build, and maintain’ contracting process which has focused upon the bid proposing this vehicle).
[3] Other bids had proposed the
Bombardier Flexity Swift and a
Kinki Sharyo tram.
With the use of electric power, greater frequency, and street-level running in central Ottawa, the expanded system would have borne much more resemblance to the urban tramways usually referred to by the phrase ‘light rail’ than does the pilot project (though the use of the
Capital Railway track and additional existing tracks which have been acquired along its route may cause it to remain a mainline railway for legal purposes).
[...]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Train#Early_extension_plans
The PoW Bridge, IIRC, also had at least one project announced and came to nothing. I'll dig later. Gatineau is still waiting on having signed an agreement for it.
The S70 Siemens, btw, built in California, is available in dual voltage versions (to run on electrified mainlines @ 25kVAC) and 'trolley' lines DC. The San Diego Trolley runs them on *mainline* down to the Mexican border, (albeit @ 750VDC) and on street running, including in tunnel. The SDTrolley is regulated by the FRA on that section of mainline track, and spurs in the city that run freight at night (temporally separated). This is why the terms "LRV" "Light Rail" and "LRT" are vague. The S70, termed an "LRV" in North Am:
[The 70% low floor vehicle design and the maximum speed of
105 km/h make the S70 the comfortable and fast alternative to the car. Besides the vehicle S70 Siemens also provides the Canadian and U.S. market with high floor light rail vehicles.]
Trams and Light Rail - Mobility - Siemens
www.mobility.siemens.com/mobility/global/en/urban.../trams-and-light-rail.aspx
There's quite a few points worthy of discussion that relate to Ottawa, Moose and *Toronto* in many of the points made above.
And this one renders the indignation of some posters on (gist) "Moose looking for subsidies" in a different light:
Much of the route would have run through the undeveloped Riverside South area to allow a large new suburb to be constructed in the area south of the airport.
And that's exactly Moose' cause d'etre...
