The Canadian government has shortlisted three teams to develop proposals on Canada’s largest P3 project, the High Frequency Rail (HFR) scheme spanning the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Under the plans, the winner will develop a new 1,000km intercity passenger network to connect Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City through a collaborative P3 with VIA HFR, the special entity set up by the government to deliver the project.
The shortlisted teams are:
Cadence
CDPQ Infra, SNC-Lavalin, Systra and KeolisIntercity Rail Developers
Intercity Development Partners, EllisDon Capital, Kilmer Transportation, First Rail Holdings, Jacobs, Hatch, CIMA+, First Group, RATP Dev and Renfe OperadoraQConnexiON Rail Partners
Fengate, John Laing, Bechtel, WSP Canada and Deutsche Bahn
According to an indicative timeline, the request for proposals is expected to be released in September, with responses due next summer.
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said he was “thrilled” with the update, adding that the “exciting initiative will require strong collaboration between Transport Canada, VIA HFR, and the selected private developer partner to create a sustainable foundation for the design and development of the project”.