TramCité takes an important step forward with the announcement of the qualified consortia for two major contracts

TramCité reached a milestone today with the unveiling of the qualified consortia for two major contracts as part of the Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFOI) led by CDPQ Infra. 

RFOIs, an important step in a rigorous procurement process, qualify consortia before collecting their proposals by outlining the required skills, qualifications and experience. The objective is to ensure that the proposals are up to the desired level of expertise.  

This new development demonstrates the shared commitment of the three partners involved in TramCité – the Government of Québec, the City of Québec and CDPQ Infra – to act quickly but thoroughly to complete this infrastructure project, the largest in the recent history of the Capitale-Nationale.

Qualified consortia

Qualified consortia will be invited to submit their proposals for civil works and systems contracts. The civil contract includes the excavation of the tunnel under Parliament Hill, construction of buildings, construction and repair of bridges, viaducts and other engineering structures. The systems contract includes railway tracks, traction power systems, as well as electrical, communication and road and railway signalling systems. The consortia will have until the end of the year to complete this step. 

Here are the selected groups in each category and the companies that compose them:

Civil contract

COLLECTIF TRAMe, comprised of :

• Janin Atlas inc.
• Engineering subcontractor : consortia Systra Canada/TetraTech, supported by Stantec, EXP, GHD, and STGM, Provencher_Roy
   

POMERLEAU-AECON, comprised of :

• Pomerleau Grands Projets inc.
• Groupe Aecon Québec Ltée
• Engineering subcontractor: AtkinsRéalis, Egis, supported by GroupeA and Bisson Fortin

TRAM ALLIANCE, comprised of :

• Construction Kiewit Cie
• EBC Inc
• Engineering subcontractor : Kiewit Conception, supported by WSP, Artelia, Cima+, and Régis et Richez_Associés

Systems contract

AECON/NGE, comprised of :

• Groupe AECON Québec Lté
• NGE Contractants Inc.
• Engineering subcontractor: joint venture Ingérop/Hatch et Hitachi

COLAS/POMERLEAU/EQUANS, comprised of :

• Colas Rail Canada inc.
• Pomerleau Grands projets inc.
• Equans Transport CM Canada
• Engineering subcontractor : joint venture Colas Rail/Pomerleau grands projets/Equans, supported by Egis (Egis subcontractor : Cima+)

QUEBEC CONNEXION CAPITALE, comprised of :

• AtkinsRéalis Grands Projets Inc
• Siemens Mobilité Ltée
• Engineering subcontractor : joint venture AtkinsRéalis/Siemens

The number of qualified consortia confirms the industry's strong interest and the significant potential that TramCité has for the Québec City Metropolitan Community, both in terms of economic benefits and mobility. 

"We take great satisfaction in the strong desire of the major players in the industry to contribute to the advancement of TramCité. The enthusiasm for these Requests for Expressions of Interest shows that the sector has confidence in the approach put in place by CDPQ Infra to carry out the project. The selection of qualified consortia was made based on a rigorous, transparent and fair analysis of all bids, in line with global best practices."

Daniel Farina, Chief Executive Officer of CDPQ Infra 
 

The prequalification of the expertise was completed within a timeframe consistent with the rigorous timeline agreed upon by the partners, less than four months after the market information session. Under the co-development approach adopted by CDPQ Infra, the selected consortia will be involved ahead of the implementation phase. This phase will begin in 2027, with commissioning of the tramway planned for 2033.

Upstream Operator 

The French multinational RATP Dev has been selected as the upstream operator to assist CDPQ Infra and the designated operator, the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), in preventing and resolving various issues related to the future operation and maintenance of the tramway. RATP Dev will draw on its global expertise to support, for example, the selection process for major contracts, the co-development of the final design solution, the implementation phase, interface management and the coaching of the RTC for its future role as network operator.

Suppliers selected for preparatory work and independent cost estimation

AtkinsRealis and Turner & Townsend Canada have been selected to develop the preparatory work and provide independent cost estimator services, respectively. The work in question includes the diversion of urban technical networks and municipal services on the sections of the future network that are under the responsibility of CDPQ Infra. The cost estimator services will aim, among other things, to determine a target price as provided for in the agreement for the realization of the TramCité project.