Archives

From a High Frequency to a High Speed Rail P3

Canada’s rail industry is abuzz with reports that the government is seriously considering converting its ongoing High Frequency Rail project procurement to a truly High Speed Rail project, which would connect Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. The government has accepted proposals for the project from three shortlisted bid teams, and is expected to selected […]

Calgary’s Green Line: High Costs, No Train

Planning and development for Calgary’s Green Line LRT project has been more than a decade in the making. It may take a decade more for the now-$6.2 billion project to be built. In September, the Alberta government pulled its $1.53B share of funding for the first phase of the line, the Calgary city council voted […]

High Frequency Rail to Test Progressive Model in Canada

Canada’s High Frequency Rail project, which will provide electrified passenger rail between Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City, is expected to be the largest infrastructure project in the nation’s history. It will also be a major test of the progressive P3 model, which has remained fairly nascent in Canada despite becoming much more prevalent in the […]

Hamilton, Ontario Gets Light Rail, Heavy Politics

Amid local outcry, the city of Hamilton, Ontario has recommended a very short-duration operating concession for its multibillion dollar light rail project. The recommendation now goes to Metrolinx, which will be the public owner of the new transit line and has final say in the line’s operations. Still, local interest groups did not treat the […]

Manitoba Election Puts School P3 at Risk of Cancellation

The provincial government in Manitoba, Canada, has been eager to build schools quickly, but for quite a long time. The province is mid-procurement on a P3 to build nine schools in the coming years, but may be changing course – now for the third time. In November, the newly elected NDP government in the province […]

High-Frequency Rail Moves to RFP

Transport Canada is moving forward with the country’s most significant infrastructure project in several decades. The launch of the RFP for the High-Frequency Rail (HFR) project between Quebec City and Toronto could redefine travel along one of the country’s most populous and trafficked corridors. The scope of the HFR project is to upgrade more than […]

Montreal’s New Transit: Automated Trains, Pension Fund Financing

July ushered in a new era of transit in Montreal with the grand opening of the Réseau Express Metropolitain (REM) light rail project – the first new light rail line in Montreal in Decades. For now, only the REM’s southern branch is starting operations, along with five stations along that segment. Once the entire project […]

Ontario Seeks Public Review of Troubled Ottawa Light Rail P3

Tensions boiled over for the troubled Confederation Line P3 in Ottawa last month, as disagreements between city council members, the province of Ontario, and private stakeholders spilled into public view. In mid-November, the Ontario provincial government overrode the city’s decision and ordered a public inquiry into the Confederation Line, in a move that could have […]

Canada High-Frequency Rail P3 Qualifications Submitted

The corridors between Quebec City in Quebec, and Toronto and Windsor in Ontario, are a tiny part of Canada’s landmass, yet the stretch is home to nearly two thirds of Canada’s population and two thirds of its economy. The lack of reliable, high-speed regional rail transportation along the corridor has long been a thorn in […]

Public Inquiry Completes Review of Confederation Line

On November 30th, the public inquiry for Canada’s CAD$2.1 billion transit P3 for the Confederation Line project published its final report. The report comes more a year after the inquiry was first ordered. The inquiry was investigating the causes of the many problems the project has faced since the procurement for the project was completed […]