Ontario’s plans to expand its GO rail network have moved forward with the appointment of a consortium led by Canadian contractor Aecon and Spain’s FCC Construction to design, build, operate and maintain the system.
The ONxpress Transportation Partners team was named “first negotiations proponent” in February.
It comprises Aecon Concessions, Alstom Transport Canada, FCC Construction and Deutsche Bahn International Operations.
The GO Expansion programme will electrify and transform the network into a two-way, all-day service, with trains running every 15 minutes or less across five core rail corridors in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area at the western end of Lake Ontario.
ONxpress will be responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining all GO Rail infrastructure and trains for 25 years. This includes all works on track, civil infrastructure, signalling, electrification and vehicles, as well as the operations and maintenance of the network.
French engineer Alstom will handle “systems and integration” and Deutsche Bahn will operate the upgraded network with Aecon O&M. The construction phase will be carried out by Aecon Infrastructure Management, Alstom Transport Canada and FCC, with Canadian engineers WSP and the Hatch Corporation.
According to IO, the package will be covered by “a single, innovative, fully-integrated contract to run more and better service for the regional GO rail system”.
Jean-Louis Servranckx, chief executive of Aecon Group, said in a press statement that his company was “purpose-built with the multidisciplinary expertise, preeminent execution capabilities and sophisticated processes to build and operate projects of this magnitude”.
Manuel Rivaya, Aecon’s senior vice president for urban transport, said the combination of increased frequency, faster trains, additional stations and seamless connections would “significantly improve regional rapid transit across Ontario – connecting communities and enabling future generations to thrive”.
Further reading:
