Calgary issues RFQ for Phase 1 of Green Line project

April 1, 2022

A development partner will be selected to work collaboratively with the Green Line team to deliver the first phase of the light-rail project.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

A rendering of what a future Green Line LRT station could look like.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been issued for Phase 1 of the Green Line (LRT) Project, which is the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history and will run from Shepard to Eau Claire.

“Following extensive consultation with the market and alignment of all funding partners, the Green Line Board has approved a collaborative procurement strategy to build Phase 1 of the Green Line LRT project” said Don Fairbairn, chair, Green Line Board. “The RFQ is a significant step towards delivering this important city-shaping project”.

The Green Line Board will elect a development partner in early 2023 for Phase 1 of the project following the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage, from the RFQ short-listed candidates. The city explains, the development partner will work collaboratively with the Green Line team on design progression providing flexibility to innovate, optimize and manage cost, risk and schedule concerns. The development phase is expected to take approximately 12 months and the city anticipates moving to the implementation phase by Q2 2024.

The city explains the procurement strategy is expected to allow for additional long lead procurement items and work packages to be issued earlier which will reduce project and schedule risk and continue to support local job creation.

The full Green Line LRT will be a 20-km (12.4-mile) project that will be constructed in two phases. The 18-km (11.18-mile) Phase 1 includes “the most technically complex section of the new LRT line” that will support future north and south expansion. The second phase of the project will construct the final two kilometers (1.24 miles) from Eau Clare to 16 Avenue North.

In addition to 18 kms (11.18 miles) of track, Phase 1 will connect southeast Calgary to downtown and into the existing LRT and four MAX BRT routes while building:

13 stations including underground and elevated station buildings
Bridge structures
Park and Ride facilities
A maintenance storage facility for light-rail vehicles.

In November 2021, the city awarded a contract to CAF to supply light-rail vehicles for the new line.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.