Feds ask for proposals for high-frequency rail project
The federal government is kicking off the next phase of its project to build a high-frequency rail corridor between Quebec City and Toronto.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced on March 9 that the government had launched a Request for Expressions of Interest to obtain advice and opinions from industry.
The project proposes to create a new corridor for passenger rail that would offer faster, more frequent, more accessible and more sustainable service among such major centres as Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Montréal, Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto. The project is the largest transportation infrastructure work proposed in the country in decades.
“High Frequency Rail is a transformational project that promises to fundamentally change the way Canadians travel in southern Ontario and Quebec, improving accessibility, and providing more travel flexibility,” said Alghabra. “The Request for Expressions of Interest marks the first major step in the development and advancement of this project.”
The deadline for responses to the request for expressions of interest is May, and the federal government expects to issue requests for qualifications for the project in the fall. If all goes according to plan, the government would issue a request for proposals for the project next spring, with a plan to open the service in the 2030s.
“High Frequency Rail is an infrastructure project with a size and scope that is unprecedented in modern Canadian history, which is why we are seeking to leverage the advice and views of private sector companies with concrete experience in designing and implementing complex infrastructure projects across the world,” said Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi. “This is a very exciting opportunity for private sector companies to make their mark on the procurement and development of this project.”
The government says it plans to incorporate strategies to involve Indigenous Peoples in the subsequent phases of the project, including creating plans to evaluate the Indigenous participation plans of proponents to encourage collaboration opportunities with Indigenous Peoples, businesses, communities and organizations.
More information about the project is available on the government’s High Frequency Rail project website.