The regional transportation agency for the areas around Toronto, which includes commuter trains into the city, has big plans for heavy rail upgrades and extensions, many using PPPs. Metrolinx’s capital plan for what it calls Regional Express Rail includes 13 “large” upgrade packages of enabling works worth Cdn $3.5 billion, a combination of design-bid-build, build-finance, and design-build-finance deals. Four are in procurement and the remaining nine will be issued over the next 15 months. Infrastructure Ontario, the provincial PPP agency, is working with Metrolinx.

The work includes station extensions and improvements, a big tunnel under a highway, grade separations, and bridges.