Technical Advisory Services for Toronto’s Largest Transit Project

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is the fastest growing metro area in North America, and expanding the transit system is essential to connect people to jobs, schools and their communities. Recognizing this pressing need, Metrolinx is planning and building a new rapid transit line — the Ontario Line. This nearly 16-kilometer subway line, with 15 proposed stations, will run from Ontario Place/Exhibition Place through downtown Toronto to the Ontario Science Centre.

HDR serves as the technical advisor for the CA$10.9 billion Ontario Line. As technical advisor, HDR and its primary partners — Mott MacDonald, Stantec, Systra and Comtech — provide a wide range of planning, engineering, environmental, design, construction oversight, and commissioning services. This program also provides a significant opportunity to integrate technological tools such as BIM, GIS, 5D modelling and reality mesh visualizations.

Reaching New Neighbourhoods

Expected to accommodate nearly 400,000 daily boardings, the Ontario Line will provide relief and reduce crowding on TTC’s Line 1 (Yonge-University), serve fast-growing areas such as Liberty Village, and bring transit to dense, underserviced neighbourhoods like Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park. When complete, 255,000 more people will be within walking distance of rapid transit. Nearly 50,000 more jobs will be accessible by transit (in 45 minutes or less) for Toronto residents.

The new line will be a mix of at-grade track, elevated guideways and underground tunnels. By mixing these options, the line will bring more rapid transit to more communities sooner.

Managing Multi-Billion-Dollar Packages

Since beginning work in early 2020, the HDR team has led the effort to perform preliminary engineering, develop project specifications and create reference documents for a multi-package procurement approach that will involve a mix of traditional and alternative delivery methods. Tens of thousands of documents have already been created and uploaded into the project’s library.

Altogether, our team will be managing the procurement and oversight of three multi-billion P3 packages:

• Rolling Stock, Systems, Operations and Maintenance
• Southern Civil, Stations and Tunnel
• Northern Civil, Stations and Tunnel

In addition to the three main P3 contracts, there will be a series of early works projects for bridge, track and other preparatory activities that will be procured traditionally. Early works will occur along the joint rail corridor where the Ontario Line will operate next to existing GO Transit rail services.