Ontario is moving forward on delivering four priority subway expansion projects for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Planning is underway for all four subway projects and procurements for the subway programme are being staged to ensure each project is delivered successfully:
- Ontario Line
- Scarborough Subway Extension
- Yonge North Subway Extension
- Eglinton Crosstown West Extension
Working with multiple stakeholders in Toronto, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) is helping to deliver the infrastructure for the new subway programme that will alleviate congestion, improve mobility and support growth within the City of Toronto.
An initial framework agreement with IO was tendered, won and led by an international design consultancy, supported by UK SME Direx Solutions. This advisory framework has now been novated to Direx Solutions for a period of four years, in association with Crossrail International, for the provision of strategic advisory services relating to the planning and procurement of the city’s new subway extensions.
A critical component of our services involves reviewing, evaluating and challenging current information and approaches to foster greater efficiency, innovation and improvements to project delivery and subsequent outcomes drawing on our extensive international experience, benchmarking and lessons learned. Our expert advice includes risk analysis and mitigation for station development between new metro programmes and the existing metro system; and a commercial and risk review in respect of the future operations and maintenance structures for the new upload programme.
In May 2019, Direx Solutions and Crossrail International performed an overview of the existing Business Case for the Ontario Line and its alignment to the IO Upload strategy. We benchmarked the Business Case document against industry good practice (including UK’s Five Case Model – the approach for developing business cases recommended by HM Treasury) and provided a summary of initial findings and recommendations for next steps.
Our team later produced a Pathfinder Paper which set out the issues the Province will likely encounter, and the principles most likely to resolve them. These included regulations, legislation, health and safety, change management, revenue stream enhancement policy to existing system; bringing new lines into service together with the various interfaces between the Province, City and other third party transport providers, e.g. TTC, buses, taxis, rapid transit; and interfaces with adjacent oversite developments. The paper drew upon international comparisons (including our extensive knowledge of UK systems) and the knowledge that the team has on Toronto’s subway system.
