Confederation Line extension

The contract involves the design, construction and financing of 27.5km of infrastructure for a light-rail transit (LRT) system in order to extend the Confederation Line to the west and east of the city of Ottawa. It includes the construction of 4km of rail in cut-and-cover tunnels, 20 engineering structures, 16 stations, of which one underground and one elevated, and a maintenance centre. It also covers the delivery of associated systems.

Background

Ottawa has a very well developed public transport system for a North American city, however it consists solely of a bus network which has reached full capacity.
In 2012, the City invited tenders for the first construction stage of the LRT in downtown Ottawa as part a public-private partnership, a process in which a team comprising VINCI Concessions and VINCI Construction Grands Projets participated. It was when the City decided to extend the network that we won this new project in 2017.

Technical overview

The Confederation Line extension will be built in existing corridors – a motorway central reservation and dedicated bus lanes and in three cut-and-cover tunnels.
The project is unique in that it connects to an existing line. Systems have already been established for stage one and are very recent. They will be extended using the same equipment.
The contract also covers associated systems, including tracks, catenary power supply, monitoring and data/communications, as well as signalling and train control, which will be based on semi-automatic technology.
The project will benefit from the experience gained by the consortium on other LRT projects, particularly the Lusail system in Qatar.
The scheme enables VINCI Group subsidiaries to demonstrate their know-how in major design and build projects on urban sites, by contributing their unique expertise in safety, environment and quality.

«The City of Ottawa wants an LRT system that is worthy of a country like Canada, with top-quality services,” says Frédéric Mir, bid manager and systems engineering manager for the project

Impact

Stage 2 of Ottawa’s O-Train system involves extending the Confederation Line and the Trillium Line from north to south. On completion of this stage in 2025, the O-Train will cover some 64km and include 41 stations. It will provide a rapid and reliable rail service to around 80% of Ottawa’s residents and carry up to 48,000 passengers during peak periods.
The O-train will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110,000 tonnes over a 25-year period.

Project participant

Client
Ottawa City

Key figures

Implementation dates
January 2019 to February 2025

Extension to East and West
27.5 km (including 4 km of cut-and-cover tunnels)

20 engineering structures

16 stations