Four teams have prequalified for the US$15.7bn GO Rail expansion in Ontario, a public-private project intended to offer a rapid transit service every 15 minutes on core segments of the network in Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).
The project includes an enlargement of Toronto’s famous Union Station (pictured).
A request for proposals will be sent to the teams that will be bidding to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the infrastructure for the largest capital project in the GO Expansion programme, the "On-Corridor Works" project.
The four teams chosen are:
- EnTransit, led by SNC-Lavalin and public transport operator Keolis, both based in Quebec. The design team also includes Balfour Beatty Rail.
- MTR Kiewit Partners, led by Hong Kong transit operator MTR, with Omaha-based contractor Kiewit and UK consulting engineer Mott MacDonald as designer.
- ONcore Transit, a mainly Spanish consortium, with ACS and its Dragados Canada subsidiary in the lead. Design is being undertaken by US engineer Aecom and the Basque engineer Sener.
- ONxpress Transportation Partners, led by Chinese-owned Australian contractor John Holland with Canada’s Aecon, and two French companies: Meridiam Infrastructure and Alstom Transport Canada. Two Canadian engineers, WSP and Hatch, and Deutsche Bahn will be involved in the operation of the system.
Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s infrastructure minister, commented: "The GO Rail Expansion programme will make travelling across the GTHA a faster, easier and a more seamless experience for commuters. Partnering with the private sector to deliver this programme will minimise construction delays and financial risks to taxpayers. That allows us to protect front-line services and programs that matter to people – all while bringing good jobs and new investment to this region."
As well as the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of the system, the contract will cover the construction of maintenance depots and the renewal of track and platforms at Union Station in Toronto, the busiest transport hub in Canada (pictured).
Image: Toronto’s Union Station (Secondarywaltz/CC BY-SA 3.0)Â
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