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Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has selected Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) as the preferred bidder to develop the Light Rail (Purple Line) P3 project in Maryland, USA.

The wining consortium, composed of Meridiam, Fluor Enterprises, Inc. and Star America, beats out competition from three other shortlisted teams: Maryland Purple Line Partners, Maryland Transit Connectors, and Purple Plus Alliance LLC Proposer.

Meridiam, a leading global investor and asset manager specializing in public and community infrastructure, will be a 70% equity provider, with Fluor Enterprises, Inc. and Star America each providing 15% of the equity. Fluor Construction, Lane, and Traylor Brothers have formed a construction joint venture to build the Project. Fluor, Alternate Concepts, Inc., and CAF USA have formed an operations and maintenance joint venture with CAF USA providing the light rail vehicles for the project.

Commercial close is anticipated in Q1 2016 with financial close scheduled for Q2 2016.

The project, tendered by the MDOT and Maryland Transit Administration requires the concessionaire the development of a 25.75 km light rail transit line that extends from Bethesda to New Carrollton, and extends east-west inside the Capital Beltway within the Maryland suburbs north of Washington, DC. The Project connects five major activity centers in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties: Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/Langley Park, College Park and New Carrollton.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance, operate and maintenance (DBFOM) basis. The PPP contract will have a period of of 35 years. The project also involves the supply light rail vehicles.

The total project investment is estimated at US$2 billion. 

The new transit line will provide direct connections to four branches of the Washington Metropolitan Metrorail system, as well as connections to three Regional Commuter rail lines plus Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. There will be 21 permanent stations servicing residents and commuters in the areas. The project runs partially through dedicated right of way and partially on embedded track on roadways with vehicular traffic as is common for urban light rail projects.

Jane Garvey, Chairman, Meridiam North America, stated:

"Our team is excited about being part of such a transformative project that will bring strong tangible benefits, such as tremendous increased fluidity to the community and the metropolitan region at large."

Backed by US pension funds and insurance companies, Meridiam North America draws on deep US transportation and PPP experience and has closed 6 projects since 2009, including the Port of Miami Tunnel in Florida and the Long-Beach Courthouse Project in California.