CANADA: CDPQ Infra signed the contracts for the Réseau Électrique Métropolitain automated metro project in Montréal on April 12, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the same day.
The 67 km network is intended to link the south shore suburbs, the city centre, the airport, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Deux-Montagnes, serving 26 stations. Testing is due to start at the end of 2020, ahead of the first phase opening in mid-2021.
Construction is budgeted at C$6·3bn, and operations and maintenance costs have been confirmed at C$0·72 per passenger-km.
In February CDPQ Infra announced the winning bidders for the two contracts. The NouvLR General Partnership won the C$5bn infrastructure engineering, procurement and construction contract. This consortium includes SNC-Lavalin, Dragados Canada, Groupe Aecon Québec, Pomerleau and EBC. The Lemay Perkins + Will Bisson Fortin Architectes consortium is responsible for design and urban integration.
The Groupe des Partenaires pour la Mobilité des Montréalais comprising Alstom and SNC-Lavalin has signed a contract covering rolling stock, signalling, operations and maintenance. Alstom’s share of the C$2·8bn contract is estimated at C$2·2bn.
Alstom will supply 106 two-car Alstom Metropolis trainsets and Urbalis 400 CBTC signalling. The contract also covers a control centre, platform screen doors, wi-fi connectivity, depot equipment, and 30 years of operations and maintenance.
Alstom intends to establish a centre of excellence in Montréal to undertake R&D in urban transport control systems.
