PROGRESS CONTINUES ON SHEPPARD EAST LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT)

Request for Proposals Released for Sheppard East Maintenance and Storage Facility

TORONTO, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario and the TTC continue to move forward on a commitment to improving public transit in the Greater Toronto Area with the release of a request for proposals (RFP) to the three teams short-listed for the new Sheppard East Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) project.

The new Sheppard East MSF, an essential part of the Sheppard East LRT project, will house new light rail vehicles operating on the Sheppard East LRT and will include facilities to serve the upgraded Scarborough RT, part of the Metrolinx Big 5 priority rapid transit projects. A car-house, storage track, maintenance of way building, brake test track and traction power substation also will be included in the new maintenance and storage facility.

Companies from all over the world participated in a rigorous competitive request for qualifications (RFQ) process that reviewed and evaluated their design, construction, maintenance and financing abilities to deliver the new MSF. From this process, six teams pre-qualified for the project and the three highest scoring ones have been short-listed to submit proposals. 

The short-listed bidders include: Plenary Infrastructure, Sheppard Facility Development Group, and SNC-Lavalin. The three remaining pre-qualified teams will be held in reserve to replace any short-listed bidder that is unable to participate. 

Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx and the TTC will evaluate the RFP submissions, select a preferred proposal, and then negotiate a final contract. The entire process will be overseen by a fairness monitor and the successful team will be announced in 2011. A copy of the RFP is available on Infrastructure Ontario's website at www.infrastructureontario.ca.

The federal government will provide up to a maximum of $333 million, from the Building Canada Fund (BCF), for funding the Sheppard East LRT and the Sheppard component of the MSF projects. The province of Ontario and Metrolinx will be responsible for the remaining costs. For more information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Metrolinx, the owner of the Sheppard East LRT, and Infrastructure Ontario will work with the Toronto Transit Commission to deliver the new Sheppard East MSF. Metrolinx is an agency of the Province of Ontario.  For more information, visit www.metrolinx.com.

For details about the City of Toronto's Transit City Program, visit www.transitcity.ca.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget; as well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.

Quotes:
"The Government of Canada understands how important it is to ease commutes and reduce congestion in the Greater Toronto region, which is why we have invested in new transit projects such as the Sheppard East Light Rail Transit line," said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Regional Minister for the Greater Toronto Area.

"The McGuinty government's investments in public transit are part of our Open Ontario plan to strengthen our economy and create more jobs and opportunities across the province.  A new maintenance facility will ensure the resources are in place to effectively store and maintain new light rail vehicles," said Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Minister of Transportation. 

"This project is the first of many that will improve transit services in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area," said Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure. "Our government's investment in transit and transit facilities will not only help create thousands of new well-paid jobs, but also will help reduce energy consumption, travel time and improve air quality by getting more cars off the road."

"The new service and maintenance facility will support both the Sheppard East LRT and Scarborough RT projects.  Each project will launch a new era of transit for the North East Toronto community by providing a rapid transit service that efficiently links people to their destinations and reduces dependency on the private automobile" said Adam Giambrone, TTC Chair.

"This progress marks another example of how Metrolinx is fulfilling its commitment to build a transit network commuters can rely on," said Bruce McCuaig, Metrolinx President and CEO. "Once complete, the new facility will contribute to our efforts to make the transportation system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area more reliable and customer-focused."

BACKGROUNDER

Sheppard East Maintenance and Storage Facility
Short-listed Bidders Teams

Teams shortlisted for the Sheppard East Maintenance and Storage Facility project were pre-qualified through a rigorous competitive request for qualifications (RFQ) process that evaluated and ranked their approach to project development; design capability and experience; construction capability and experience; maintenance and rehabilitation management and experience; financial and financing information and their ability to successfully reach a financial close.  

The three highest scoring consortia were short-listed for the project:

Plenary Infrastructure (and team members):
Plenary Group
Alstom Power and Transportation Canada Inc.
Bird Design-Build Construction Inc.
Stantec Inc.
TD Securities
Plenary Infrastructure
Honeywell
Adelt Mechanical Works
Industrial Electric Construction Limited

Sheppard Facility Development Group (and team members):
ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc.
John Laing
Royal Bank of Canada
Dragados Canada, Inc.
PCL Construction
Guild Electric
Tecsa
Cobra
Geo A. Kelson Company Ltd.
Halcrow Yolles
Aedas
Parkin
Hidi Rae
Johnson Controls

SNC Lavalin (and team members):
SNC-Lavalin Inc., through its investment division SNC-Lavalin Capital (developer)
SNC-Lavalin Capital (financial advisor)
SNC-Lavalin Constructors Pacific Inc
SNC-Lavalin Inc. (design)
EllisDon Corporation
Modern Niagara Toronto
The Plan Group
MMM Group Ltd
VCDB - (Verkehrs Consult Dresden Berlin GmbH)
ZAS Architects + Interiors
Sereca
Thurber Engineering Ltd
SNC-Lavalin Operations and Maintenance
EllisDon Facilities Services

Disponible en français

For further information:

Ryan Bissonnette	Jennifer Sclisizzi	Vanessa Thomas
Public Affairs	Infrastructure Ontario	Media Relations
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