Preferred proponent teams selected for two contracts associated with the Ontario Line

Sept. 16, 2022

Final contract negotiations continue for the Ontario Line South and Ontario RSSOM contracts.

A rendering of Osgoode Station that will be built as part of the Ontario Line South contract.

Two teams were named as preferred proponents on two contracts associated with the Ontario Line; a 15-station, 15.6-kilometer (9.7-mile) rail line that will stretch across Toronto and will be built using a mix of above ground and below ground rail infrastructure.

The Ontario Line rail project is being delivered through staged procurement packages in coordination with other significant transit projects. Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario have selected preferred proponents for two of these packages: the Ontario Line South Civil, Stations and Tunnel (South) and Ontario Line Rolling Stock, Systems, Operations and Maintenance (RSSOM) contracts.

A map showing where the Ontario Line's alignment will be.

Ontario Transit Group has been named as the preferred proponent for the Ontario Line South contract. Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc. and VINCI Construction Grands projets will serve as the applicant lead. The design team consists of AECOM Canada Ltd., COWI North America Ltd., GHD Limited and SENER Group. The construction team includes Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc. and Janin Atlas Inc.; and the team’s financial advisor will be Agentis Capital.

The scope of work for the Ontario Line South contract includes 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) of rail infrastructure, including six kilometers (3.7 miles) of tunnels and seven stations—six of which will be underground.

“The Ontario Line South Civil contract will be Ferrovial Construction’s largest contract to be executed and delivered worldwide. To have a project of this size and scope as part of our company’s portfolio speaks volumes about the expertise and value we bring to some of the most complex and visible infrastructure projects in the world,” said Ferrovial Construction CEO Ignacio Gastón.

Connect 6ix was selected as the preferred proponent for the Ontario Line RSSOM contract. Plenary Americas, Hitachi Rail, Webuild Group (Salini Impreglio Canada Holding Inc.) and Transdev Canada Inc. will serve as the applicant lead. The design team consists of Hitachi Rail and IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc. The construction team includes Hitachi Rail, Webuild Group (Astaldi Canada Design & Construction Inc. and Salini Impreglio Civil Works Inc.) and NGE Contracting Inc. The operations, maintenance and rehabilitation team includes Hitachi Rail and Transdev Canada Inc.; and the team’s financial advisors will be National Bank Financial Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

The scope of the design-build-finance-operate-maintain Ontario Line RSSOM contract includes the design, supply, operation and maintenance of the line’s rolling stock, as well as its track, communications and train control systems. The construction, operation and maintenance of a trio of facilities including the operations, maintenance and storage facility, the operations control center and the backup operations control center. The contract also includes the integration of the PRESTO fare system into the new line.

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario anticipates awarding both contracts later this year. Ferrovial says construction is expected to begin in 2023 and take seven years to complete.

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.