In a surprising announcement late last week,
Metrolinx, the Ontario government's regional transit authority, announced that it would build, construct and operate the planned rail link between Union Station and Pearson Airport. Previously, the project was to have been built and operated by a private group led by Montreal's
SNC-Lavalin, but negotiations on the project broke down over the province's refusal to provide an operating subsidy.
According to Metrolinx spokesperson Vanessa Thomas, the link will operate as a separate entity from the agency's existing Go Transit service, an express shuttle service running every 15 minutes using small, two-car trains. The project, expected to be completed by 2015, will create 10,000 jobs, Thomas says, directly related to professions and trades involved in the design and construction of the link.
Following up by email, Thomas notes that while the majority of the hiring is expected to be done by contractors, "Metrolinx is working with various agencies, construction associations and contractors to support apprenticeship programs that will promote career opportunities for people living in the City's priority neighbourhoods."
Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Vanessa Thomas, Media Relations & Issues Specialist, Metrolinx-GO Transit
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