Metrolinx
Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx on Aug. 6 awarded a fixed-price contract of C$1.44 billion to North End Connectors to design, build, and finance (DBF) the advance tunneling project for the Yonge North Subway Extension, which will extend the TTC’s Line 1 subway service approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the existing terminus at Finch Station into the City of Richmond Hill (see map above). The twin 3.9-mile (6.3-kilometer) tunnels will run from Finch Station on TTC Line 1 to south of Langstaff Road in Markham, where the extension will shift to a surface-level segment.
The North End Connectors team includes:
- Applicant Leads: Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., and Ghella Canada Ltd.
- Construction: Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., and Ghella Canada Ltd.
- Design: EXP Services Inc. and TYPSA Inc.
- Financial Advisor: National Bank Financial, Aecon Concessions, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd, and Ghella Investments & Partnerships SpA.
The scope of work for the project also includes design and construction of launch and extraction shafts, twin tunnels, headwalls for emergency exit buildings and stations, and support of excavation for emergency exit buildings; plus procurement and installation of tunnel boring machines and precast concrete tunnel liners.
According to IO and Metrolinx, early works for the project are under way and major construction is slated to begin once design work is complete.
The tunneling project is being delivered as a DBF contract, using IO’s Public-Private-Partnership (P3) model. It underwent an “open, fair, and competitive” procurement process, overseen by a third-party advisor, IO and Metrolinx said, and North End Connectors “submitted the proposal that delivers the best value for Ontarians.” The Request for Proposals was released in December 2023.
A separate contract will cover Stations, Rail and Systems construction.
The extension is expected to contribute more than 94,100 daily boardings.
Amtrak
Amtrak has added a new track and platform at Washington (D.C.) Union Station that will primarily serve Virginia Railway Express commuter trains, along with Amtrak Long Distance and Amtrak Virginia trains that connect the Northeast Corridor with destinations across the Southeast.
Track 22 is on the lower level of Union Station and previously served as a storage track. According to Amtrak, this project involved installing new tracks, rebuilding the platform, and rehabbing the historic columns at the 118-year-old station. The new platform and track, it noted, are fully accessible, with a new hallway providing access via a new elevator, escalator, and stairs connected to the station.
Since assuming new responsibilities for day-to-day management and operations of Washington Union Station just over a year ago, Amtrak said it has advanced several investments to “revitalize and improve” operations, such as adding a new ticketed waiting area that provides more seating; modifying the boarding process to reduce congestion; advancing state-of-good-repair initiatives to improve safety, security and maintenance of the station; and introducing new retail options.
“As Amtrak ridership continues to break records, this investment is key to easing rail congestion and improving service reliability at Amtrak’s second busiest station, along the Northeast Corridor, and into Virginia,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said. “This is yet another example of Amtrak’s commitment to creating a safer, more reliable and more welcoming environment at this gateway to our nation’s capital.”
“This is an exciting milestone for improved rail infrastructure in the region,” added VRE CEO Rich Dalton, who earlier this year announced his intent to retire, effective Oct. 3, 2025. “The added station and track capacity at Union Station provided by the Track 22 Project enhances the reliability and flexibility of service for all passengers moving through the station, including VRE riders. This project is a crucial part of a collaborative effort to modernize this vital transportation hub and VRE looks forward to the benefits it brings to our riders and the broader rail network.”
Further Reading:
- Amtrak, Union Pacific Settle Sunset Limited Dispute
- Heartland Flyer Gets a Lifeline
- East River Tunnel Rehabilitation, Sunnyside Yard, Rensselaer and Beyond: An Update
- AmeriStarRail Issues a Challenge—and Faces One—for America’s 250th Birthday
SEPTA
New state transit funding must be secured by Aug. 14 for SEPTA to avoid implementing a 20% service cut that would close a recurring budget deficit, the transit authority reported Aug. 6. Otherwise, it said, it must advance efforts to ensure staff, equipment and materials for riders are ready for reduced schedules starting on Aug. 24; the new schedules include the elimination of 32 bus routes and “significant reductions” in trips on rail modes, and an end to all special service including the Sports Express.
According to SEPTA, the implementation deadline must be set so it has time to complete a series of pre-schedule change tasks, including finalizing work schedules for thousands of frontline workers and other staff, and ensuring equipment is in place and ready for service. Time is also needed to prepare data feeds for the SEPTA App, external feeds, digital signage, platform announcements, and bus and train marquees to ensure service information is accurate, it noted. These processes are said to take a minimum of three weeks to complete for routine schedule changes but will be compressed to less than 10 days to prepare for the new schedules on Aug. 24.
SEPTA said it has worked to create two sets of schedules for all service modes—one set of schedules based on current service levels and another set reflecting the 20% cuts. The transit authority added that it has put up signs at the 3,000 bus stops across the system that will be eliminated as of Aug. 24, and has met with officials at the School District of Philadelphia, where tens of thousands of students need to find other ways to get to school, which begins the next day on Aug. 25.
“The Aug. 24 service cuts would be the first of several steps SEPTA will take this year to fill a $213 million budget deficit, absent a legislative solution,” the transit authority said. “Additional measures will quickly follow, including a 21.5% fare increase on Sept. 1 and a complete hiring freeze later in that month. A second wave of service cuts on Jan. 1 will include the elimination of five Regional Rail Lines, a 9 p.m. curfew on all rail services, and the elimination of 18 additional bus routes to achieve an overall 45% reduction in service. Those are steps needed to balance this year’s budget without new funding. Additional cuts would follow in subsequent years.”
“Our planning and operations staff have worked hard to compress the timeline for pre-schedule change work, but we cannot push it beyond Aug. 14,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. “If funding is not secured by then, these painful service cuts will go into effect on Aug. 24.” According to Sauer, SEPTA remains “optimistic” that a funding agreement can be reached by Aug. 14, and “will continue working with lawmakers in any way we can to help get this over the finish line.”
Further Reading:
- SEPTA FY26 Budget Includes Service Cuts, Fare Hikes
- Second of a Series: Philadelphia Leads the Way
- 2025 Passenger Rail Outlook: ‘Murphy Was an Optimist!’
- UPDATE: TWU Ratifies SEPTA Agreement
- SEPTA, Conduent Launch 3D Fare Gates Pilot Program
- SEPTA Reprieve, But for How Long?
- SEPTA Postpones Second of Two Fare Increases
