Consortium wins contract for rail link to Toronto airport
Written by jrood
AirLINX Transit Partners was awarded the contract to design, build and finance a three-kilometer (1.9 mile) rail line for the Air Rail Link and an ARL passenger station at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, ON, Canada. Metrolinx will own and operate the ARL, providing an express rail service between Canada's two busiest transportation hubs, Toronto Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport. The ARL will be in service in time for the TO2015 Pan / Parapan American Games and the service is expected to eliminate 1.2 million car trips in the first year of operation alone. The selection of AirLINX Transit Partners as the preferred bidder is the result of an open, fair and competitive procurement process, which was overseen by a fairness advisor. AirLINX Transit Partners consortium's key team members include: • Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd. • Dufferin Construction Company Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx will begin negotiating contract details with the preferred bidder. The project cost will be announced publicly following completion of negotiations and financial close, which are both expected in early 2012. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2012. The line will branch off the Weston Subdivision (GO Georgetown corridor) and connect to Toronto Pearson with a new passenger station at Terminal 1. This section of the ARL project will be delivered using the Province's alternative financing and procurement delivery method, which is managed by Infrastructure Ontario. "The government of Ontario is making it more convenient for residents, businesses and travelers by creating a transit link between Pearson International Airport and Toronto's downtown core," said Bob Chiarelli, minister of infrastructure, minister of transportation. "The Air Rail Link project is part of our government's long-term infrastructure plan, Building Together, which builds on the government's unprecedented infrastructure investments to date and will improve our economy, our environment and our quality of life."
