Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for construction of the high-frequency rail (HFR) network along the Quebec City to Toronto corridor.
“The request for qualifications represents an important step in the procurement process for the High Frequency Rail project,” Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Feb 17. “HFR will reduce pollution in the transport sector and provide better and faster service to travellers.”
The RFQ process will identify and qualify up to three candidates to submit a request for proposals (RFP) – a process expected to begin this summer.When selected, the developer partner will work in collaboration with VIA HFR, the newly created subsidiary of VIA Rail, to design and develop the high frequency rail project.
It outlines:
- The context and features of the High Frequency Rail project (e.g., current challenges in the Corridor, purpose of the project, and objectives);
- The procurement process, including the evaluation criteria regarding how proposals will be evaluated, security requirements for candidates, funding support for proposal development during the RFP process, and key principles of the commercial agreement for the execution phase;
- The key players in the project (e.g., VIA HFR, private developer partner, VIA Rail, Government of Canada) and how they will work together; and
- Project outcomes that the private developer partner will be expected to meet or exceed (e.g., shorter journey times, more frequent departures, more reliable service, etc.).
The procurement process is designed “to encourage innovation, provide flexibility, and identify the optimal solution” for the project. RFQ respondents will have flexibility to consider alternatives to meet or exceed the project results, including opportunities to increase speeds beyond 200 kilometres per hour on some segments of the project, if it is cost effective to do so.
RFQ respondents will be required to demonstrate a capacity for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples by developing the project to create mutually beneficial, socio-economic development opportunities.
In addition to leveraging the knowledge and expertise of international private sector companies that have experience developing large-scale infrastructure projects, delivering the High Frequency Rail project will require substantial Canadian expertise, Canadian labour, and Canadian companies throughout all phases of the project, including construction and operations.
The next steps in the High Frequency Rail procurement process include:
- Evaluation of Request for Qualification submissions and identification of Qualified Respondents: April-July 2023
- Launch of Request for Proposals: August-September 2023
- Evaluation of Request for Proposal submissions: summer 2024