Toronto has a new subway line on the horizon and the project has edged one step closer to breaking ground.
Last week, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario confirmed that they have selected preferred proponent teams for two major construction contracts for the Ontario Line. The Ontario Line will come together through various contracts enlisting various partners, but the Ontario Line South Civil, Stations and Tunnel (South Civil) contract and the Ontario Line Rolling Stock, Systems, Operations and Maintenance (RSSOM) contract are among the most major.
In a news release from last week, Infrastructure Ontario announced the Ontario Transit Group (OTG) has been selected as the preferred team to deliver the South Civil contract, and Connect 6ix has been selected for the RSSOM contract.
Ontario Line South contract -- Preferred Proponent team: Ontario Transit Group
- Applicant Lead: Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc., VINCI Construction Grands Projets
- Design Team: AECOM Canada Ltd., COWI North America Ltd., GHD Limited, SENER Group
- Construction Team: Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc., Janin Atlas Inc.
- Financial Advisor: Agentis Capital
Ontario Line RSSOM contract -- Preferred Proponent team: Connect 6ix
- Applicant Lead: Plenary Americas, Hitachi Rail, Webuild Group (Salini Impreglio Canada Holding Inc.), Transdev Canada Inc.
- Design Team: Hitachi Rail, IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc.
- Construction Team: Hitachi Rail, Webuild Group (Astaldi Canada Design & Construction Inc. and Salini Impreglio Civil Works Inc.), NGE Contracting Inc
- Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation Team: Hitachi Rail, Transdev Canada Inc.
- Financial Advisors: National Bank Financial Inc., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
But nothing is set in stone just yet.
A blog post by Metrolinx explains that selecting a “preferred proponent” is only a step in the direction of securing a partnership.
“After evaluating all the bids received in response to a Request for Proposals, a “preferred proponent” is selected based on how well their submission meets the contract requirements. Once a team is selected as a preferred proponent, negotiations continue until a final contract is signed."
The same post confirms that official contracts will be awarded later this year.
“Selecting preferred proponents for these contracts is a major milestone because it brings us another step closer to starting major construction and giving Toronto better, faster, more integrated transit,” says Malcolm MacKay, Metrolinx sponsor for the project. “People in Toronto are ready for new and expanded stations, better connections and the latest vehicle technology.”
Image: Metrolinx
The forthcoming Ontario Line will span 15.6 km and include 15 stops, running from Exhibition Place, through downtown, and to the Ontario Science Centre. By adding this additional infrastructure, the hope is to alleviate congestion on other subway lines, such as the Yonge–University line, while giving commuters more options for connecting to other transit systems and travelling around Greater Toronto.
