Rail projects in Montreal, Toronto and L.A. make Top 10 on world infrastructure list
Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
Purple Line project map courtesy of LACMTA
Three transit and commuter rail projects in North America are among the most significant infrastructure projects on earth, according to advocacy group CG/LA.
The top North American project on the Strategic 100 Global Infrastructure List is the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM), which was ranked third worldwide.
REM image courtesy of CDPQ Infra
Designed to identify projects with the most potential opportunity in the upcoming year, the CG/LA reports identify work with broad benefits and strategic importance in 30 counties.
Once completed, Réseau Express Métropolitain will be the fourth-largest automated transportation system in the world, trailing only Singapore, Dubai and Vancouver. The project is in the construction phase and has a value of about $4.85 billion. In December of 2018, RT&S reported that the REM had reached a new milestone, with work beginning on the first of the system’s 26 stations and elevated-track sections.
Also making the Top 10 is the Metrolinx Regional Express Rail project. That $10.4 billion deal plan involves a massive overhaul and expansion of rail service in Toronto region.
In the 10th spot on the list is The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)’s Purple Line Extension. The mass transit project is in the construction phase and has a value of about $2.8 billion.
In October of 2018, RT&S reported that LACMTA had launched tunneling work for the Purple Line Extension underneath Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
The projects are recognized for being “game changers,” the report said, adding that these projects are important “for job creation, business development, long-term investment and the critical inputs that citizens demand, mobility and health, along with opportunities.”
CG/LA states on its website that the organization views infrastructure as a “catalyst for progress.”
“We believe that the right policies and projects create important opportunities for all,” CG/LA says. “Our mission is to support the doubling of global infrastructure investment by 2020 and ensure that collectively, we receive the maximum benefit from that investment.”
Click here to read the full Strategic 100 Global Infrastructure List.
