Bus stands 14 (4 for arrivals) Phone +1 613-238-6668 | Opened 1972 Province Ontario | |
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Location 265 Catherine Street, Ottawa, ON Owned by Crerar Silverside Corporation Operated by Ottawa Central Station Inc.
Greyhound Canada Transportation ULC Bus operators Greyhound Canada
Thom Transport
Ontario Northland
Autobus Gatineau Parking Paid parking - short and long term Address 265 Catherine St, Ottawa, ON K1R 7S5, Canada Similar Ottawa Train Station, Green Island, Britannia Yacht Club, Gare d'autocars de Montr, Rideau Centre | ||
Ottawa Central Station is the primary inter-city bus terminus in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's national capital city. It used to have the same management as Montreal's major bus terminal, Gare d'autocars de Montréal before the latter was purchased by the Quebec government. On February 7, 2011, the terminal operations were sold to Corporate Customer Service Limited, a sub-contractor of Greyhound Canada. Corporate Customer Service formed a new company, Ottawa Central Station Inc., to manage the terminal. On September 1, 2011, Corporate Customer Service Ltd. handed over the head lease to Greyhound, who in turn negotiated and signed a long-term lease with the property's owner. Ottawa Central Station Inc. remains as an agency within a Greyhound terminal. The building and the lot is owned by Crerar Silverside Corporation. The station is located at 265 Catherine Street, between Kent Street and Lyon Street, just north of Highway 417, the primary expressway through Ottawa.
The station includes free Wi-Fi, an ATM, vending machines and a Mr. Sub restaurant featuring Country Style hot beverages and baked goods. Protect Guard Services operates as the station's main security. Ideal Control Systems and First Student offices are located on the second level of the terminal.
The station's operating hours are daily from 5:00 am to 2:30 am. The parcel department's hours are Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday/holidays 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The majority of buses serving the station are operated by Greyhound Canada. Destinations from Ottawa include Toronto (with connections to the United States), Montreal (with connections to the United States, Quebec City and the Maritimes), Syracuse (with connections to New York City and Philadelphia), and Sudbury (with connections to the Prairies, British Columbia and Northern Canada).
On January 21, 2016, Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services began operating between Ottawa Central Station and Sudbury to better serve passengers connecting to and from Northern Ontario communities.
On February 29, 2016, Autobus Gatineau, a subsidiary of Autobus Maheux, began operating between Ottawa Central Station and Grand-Remous after Greyhound reduced service to Fridays and Sundays only.
On December 15, 2008, new security measures by Greyhound came into place. All Greyhound passengers are subject to random screening prior to boarding the bus, which includes the use of wand metal detectors and searching carry-on items. Any passenger refusing to be searched is not permitted to travel.
Proposed relocation
In early 2010, Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien announced that he was working with Greyhound to move to bus terminal to a new location next to the Via Rail station on Tremblay Road, effectively creating a transport hub along with the proposed LRT. According to O'Brien, talks had been going on for a while and Greyhound seemed warm to the idea, however the Catherine station's owner, Stewart Robertson, was never consulted and only learned through the media about the proposed move. The move has sparked controversy and mixed opinions with the public and local politicians, stating that the proposed location is inconvenient as it is not central, or more convenient as it is along the Transitway.
Robertson, the station's owner, released renderings of a proposed renovation that would see the inside and outside of the terminal's aesthetics improved as well as the terminal's heating and ventilation system, however these improvements would only come if Greyhound were to sign a long-term agreement with Robertson, which in the end would result in Station Centrale being phased out as the terminal's operators.
On March 11, 2011, it was revealed that Stewart Robertson had applied for rezoning of the lot to general mixed-use as a contingency plan if Greyhound were to leave.
In September 2011, Greyhound signed a long-term lease with Crerar Silverside Corporation. As a result, the terminal will not be relocated and extensive renovations are to be done to the station in 2011 and 2012, possibly totalling over one million dollars.