Three consortia have been invited to submit proposals for the Waterloo light rail C$818-million P3 project. The Request for Qualification (RFQ) closed on November 23, 2012 and a total of seven teams submitted bids.

The following three teams have been shortlisted:

GrandLinq Team members: Plenary Group Canada Ltd.; Meridiam Infrastructure Waterloo; LRT ULC Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd.; Aecon Concessions; Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co.; Kiewit Canada Development Corp.; Mass Electric Construction Canada Co.; Keolis SA; Keolis Canada Inc.; AECOM Canada Ltd.; STV Canada Construction Inc.; CIBC World Markets Inc.

Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Transit Partners Team members: Gracorp Capital Advisors Ltd.; Fluor Canada Ltd.; Connor, Clark & Lunn GVest Traditional; Infrastructure Partnership; Parsons Canada Ltd.; Parsons Enterprise Inc.; Graham Infrastructure LP; IBI Group; exp Services Inc.; E & E Seegmiller Ltd.; Guild Electric Ltd.; Alternate Concepts Inc.; Investec North America Ltd.

Tricity Transit System Team members: SNC Lavalin Capital.; SNC Lavalin Constructors; SNC Lavalin Operations & Maintenance Inc.; SNC Lavalin Inc.; EllisDon Capital Inc.; Fengate Capital Management Ltd.; URS Canadian Operations Ltd.; Hatch Mott MacDonald Ltd.

The procurement process will now move into the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage. The RFP is expected to be released in April 2013. At the end of the process, set for early-2014, one of these teams will be selected as the DBFOM consortium for the Region's Rapid Transit project.

The project

The Stage 1 LRT Project is a major part of the Region's Rapid Transit Project, as approved by Regional Council in June 2011. The 19 kilometre route will run from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener, with service expected to begin in 2017. The private partner will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the asset.

It also includes a 17 kilometre route of adapted Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie Street Terminal in Cambridge. The aBRT service is expected to begin operating in late-2014 or early-2015.

Source: Region of Waterloo