Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx awarded Connect 6ix consortium a CAD 9 billion (USD 6.7 billion) RSSOM contract for Ontario Line. CAD 2.3 billion (USD 1.7 billion) represents the capital costs and CAD 6.7 billion (USD 5 billion) is the value of the short-term construction financing and transaction costs, train costs and 30-year operations and maintenance, lifecycle, and long-term financing.
The consortium comprising Plenary Americas, Hitachi Rail, Webuild Group and Transdev Canada will be responsible for the design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Ontario Line rolling stock, all track and systems. The consortium will also build, operate and maintain the storage facility and the Operations Control Centre.
Webuild, part of the consortium will have a stake of 65% valued at EUR 450 million in the joint-venture that will do the civil works, and a 10% stake in the Connect 6ix project company.
Hitachi Rail will deliver the state-of-the-art fleet of autonomous train fleet equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, digital passenger information screens, heating and cooling systems, and regenerative braking. The trains will be designed to provide dedicated spaces for bicycles and double wheelchair areas. The trains will travel at speeds upwards of 80 kilometres per hour and will be powered entirely by electricity, offering passengers a greener way to travel across Toronto.
Transdev will play a key advisory role during the design and construction phases of the project to ensure that operations and maintenance requirements are addressed and fulfilled.
Connect 6ix submitted the proposal which delivers the best value for Ontario taxpayers. The project is being delivered through IO’s public-private partnership model, which transfers appropriate risks associated with design, construction, financing, operations and maintenance of the project to the private sector.
The consortium will begin mobilising their design and construction crews, with work to commence in 2023. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2031. Once all the civil infrastructure elements and systems from Ontario Line North and South segments have been completed, integrated and certified, Connect 6ix will then begin operating and maintaining the Ontario Line for a 30-year term.
Connect 6ix estimates that its work on the RSSOM contract for Ontario Line will strengthen province’s economy by supporting an estimated 800 jobs, the majority of which will come from the Greater Toronto Area.
The Ontario Line will be a 15.6-km new rapid transit line running between the Ontario Science Centre and Exhibition/Ontario Place in Toronto, with 15 stations, including six interchange stations. The new line will provide more than 40 connections including GO Transit rail lines, existing TTC subway service on Line 1 and Line 2, and the future Line 5 (Eglinton Crosstown LRT).. When in service, the Ontario Line will be operated by Connect 6ix and owned by the transit agency Metrolinx.
On the new line, the trains will run at every 90 seconds and will have the ability to move up to 30,000 people per hour in each direction.
The new line will bring benefits in terms of sustainability by helping eliminate up to 28,000 vehicles on its roads every day, reducing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions with 7.2 million litres less fuel consumed every year
Ontario Line is implemented through four contracts covering the RSSOM contract, the Southern civil, stations and tunnel contract estimated at CAD 6 billion (USD 4.46 billion), the North Pape tunnel and underground stations contract and the North elevated guideway and stations contract. In addition to these contracts there are performed early works which includes the Exhibition station upgrade.
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