Metrolinx endorses Community Advisory Committee's scope of work for the
Electrification Study

TORONTO , Oct. 20 /CNW/ - At a meeting today, the Metrolinx Board of Directors unanimously endorsed the GO Transit Electrification Study Community Advisory Committee's recommended scope of work developed to study electrification of the entire GO rail system.

During the public session of the meeting, the Metrolinx Board of Directors approved the recommendation of Metrolinx's management that the Board proceed with the Electrification Study based on the Community Advisory Committee's recommended scope of work by issuing a request for proposals (RFP) inviting external consulting firms to bid for the assignment. It is expected the RFP will be issued this month and that the study will be completed by December 2010 .

The study will be the first ever comprehensive examination of the possible electrification of the entire GO system. This is considered the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, not only because it explores the possible electrification of the entire GO system, but also given the depth of factors being analyzed, its timeliness and the aggressive timeline for completion. The study is also unique in that it involved stakeholder engagement in the development of the scope of work. The study will determine the benefits, cost comparisons and recommendations for the possible conversion of the existing railway from conventional diesel to electric.

Many factors are being explored for each technology - diesel, electrification and alternative technologies - in the study's scope of work, including:

    
    -   Power supply and distribution capacities, based on an overall power
        demand simulation for each technology (including the power
        substations and powerlines that would be required for
        electrification);
    -   Projection of the amount of land needed to accommodate infrastructure
        associated with each technology (such as the land required for power
        substations associated with electrification)
    -   System-wide capital costs ranging from rolling stock and energy to
        training and the power distribution system;
    -   Environmental and health impacts of each technology;
    -   Aesthetic and social impact of moving to a new technology;
    -   Technologies' dependence on the availability of electricity and
        climate change; and
    -   Infrastructure requirements including impacts on Union Station.
    

"There are many important considerations associated with the possible electrification of the GO system that need to be thoroughly reviewed," said Rob Prichard , President and CEO of Metrolinx. "This study will provide the necessary answers so that the public, the Province and Metrolinx can make a fully informed decision about electrification. The Community Advisory Committee has made an invaluable contribution to this process by outlining an ambitious and comprehensive scope of work for us to follow with our study. The diversity of the Committee's membership has ensured the study will include the full breadth of issues relevant to making the right decisions for the future of GO Transit and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area."

The 16-member Community Advisory Committee was established on July 13, 2009 and represents a broad spectrum of the public, including community members with expertise in transportation, environment, engineering, health, urban planning, policy analysis, alternative energy, community leadership, business, finance, law and GO ridership.

The Community Advisory Committee members are:

    
    -   CHAIR, Daniel Burns, Former Deputy Minister, Ontario Minister of
        Health and Long-Term Care; Chairman, Centre for Addiction and Mental
        Health; Trustee, Maytree Foundation
    -   VICE CHAIR, Pamela Robinson, Assistant Professor and Vice Chair,
        School of Urban & Regional Planning, Ryerson University; Secretary,
        Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation
    -   Frank Giannone, President, FRAM Building Group; President, Ontario
        Home Builders' Association
    -   Dina Graser, Lawyer, Goodmans LLP; Chair, People Plan Toronto
    -   Dr. Linn Holness, Professor and Director, Gage Occupational and
        Environmental Health Unit, University of Toronto and St. Michael's
        Hospital
    -   Gerry Johnston, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of
        Transportation
    -   Ed Levy, Former President and Chairman, BA Consulting Group Ltd.
    -   Eva Ligeti, Executive Director, Clean Air Partnership; Former
        Environmental Commissioner of Ontario; Former Principal, Sheppard
        Campus, Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
    -   Eli Malinsky, Member, Center for Social Innovation; Member, Clean
        Train Coalition
    -   Brian E. McCarry, Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and
        Chemical Biology, McMaster University; Chair, Clean Air Hamilton
    -   Danny Nikitopoulos, Chartered Accountant and Valuation Specialist,
        KPMG LLP; Member, GO's Customer Service Advisory Committee
    -   Bob Oliver, Executive Director, Pollution Probe
    -   Murray Skinner, Former President, Metroland Media Group; Honourary
        life member, Canadian Community Newspaper Association
    -   Jim Tovey, President, Lakeview Ratepayers Association; Vice Chair,
        City of Mississauga Heritage Advisory Committee
    -   Michael Warren, Chair and CEO, The Warren Group; Former Chief General
        Manager, TTC
    -   Alan Wells, Chair, Rouge Park Alliance; Former Chief Administrative
        Officer, York Region
    

Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario. For more information, visit www.metrolinx.com. GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx, is the Province of Ontario's interregional public transit system linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area. For more information, visit www.gotransit.com.

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For further information: Media Contact: Vanessa Thomas, Media Relations and Issues Specialist, GO Transit, P: [phone] ext. 5264, C: [phone], [email protected]