Toronto’s Ontario Line is one step closer to construction.

On December 17, the provincial government announced that it has issued two requests for proposals (RFPs) for procurement packages to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the $10.9-billion project.

The first package includes designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the subway trains, communications and train control systems, a maintenance and storage facility, and the fare equipment that will be integrated with the PRESTO system.

The second includes designing, building and financing the tunnels and transit stations for the southern segment of the line from Exhibition Place to just west of the Don River. It also includes utility and conduit work and building structures to prepare for track installation.

The shortlisted teams were announced by the province in the summer. For the rolling stock RFP, they include Connect 6ix, ONConnects and ONLineLinx. For the southern line RFP, the three teams are Community Transit Link, ON-Linx and Ontario Transit Group. Construction of the project is expected to begin in 2022.

The project is being built under three separate public-private partnership (P3) contracts and a package of early works contracts.

"By issuing these first Ontario Line RFPs, Premier Ford's vision for a world-class regional transit system continues to make steady progress," said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney. "The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our economy, and major transit projects like this will contribute significantly to our recovery by stimulating future growth and job creation."

Issuing of the RFPs was accompanied by the release of the Preliminary Design Business Case for the Ontario Line. The business case offers a more detailed understanding of the project's design and benefits for the community. The project, for example, is expected to create more than 4,700 construction jobs per year between 2020 and 2030, followed by continued employment after 2030 for the subway line's operations and maintenance.

It is also expected to generate between $9.9 billion and $11.3 billion in economic benefits for the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area as a whole. Its expected benefit-cost ratio is 1.05, meaning every dollar spent in the region could result in a benefit of $1.05.

"We are closer to delivering a state-of-the-art subway that leverages existing rail corridors to minimize costs and disruption," said Associate Transportation Minister (GTA) Kinga Surma. "By building this project our government is bringing rapid transit to currently underserved neighbourhoods and developing transit-oriented communities which will provide needed housing options."

The line itself will extend 15.6 kilometres from Exhibition/Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre, linking communities from east to west, north to south.

The project will include 15 stations with connections to other transit options, including Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West, and Stouffville GO train services; the TTC's Line 1 and Line 2 subways; the future Line 5 (Eglinton Crosstown LRT); and streetcar lines at 10 Ontario Line stations, including the King, Queen, Bathurst, Spadina, Harbourfront and Gerrard/Carlton routes.

Once complete, the province says Ontario Line will be one of the most technologically advanced subway systems in the world with the highest degree of automation, on par with subway systems in Paris, Copenhagen and Barcelona. During rush hour, trains will arrive at each station as frequently as every 90 seconds.

"Our government is making historic investments in our transit and transportation infrastructure to support the province's growth and economic recovery," said Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure. "The Ontario Line is one of the most significant transit projects for the Greater Toronto Area in a generation and it will be delivered using Ontario's world-class P3 model, which will allow us to do it quickly and respect taxpayers."

In April 2019, the province announced its massive new transportation vision for the GTA, with a preliminary estimated cost of $28.5 billion. It includes four priority transit projects: the all-new Ontario Line; a three-stop Scarborough Subway Extension; the Yonge North Subway Extension; and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.