CDPQ Infra Inc. automated light-rail transportation system
Canada | June 13, 2023
Client: CDPQ Infra Inc.
Our Montreal office advised CDPQ Infra Inc., a subsidiary of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, on an automated light-rail transportation system. On April 12, 2018, CDPQ announced that construction of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) project, an automated light-rail transportation system in the greater Montreal area, had officially started. The project comprises 67 kilometres of railway and 26 stations and, once complete, will be one of the largest automated transportation systems in the world. For the greater Montreal area, the REM also represents the largest public transportation infrastructure since the metro was inaugurated in 1966.
Instead of a standard public-private partnership (P3) project, where a private consortium participates as a source of project financing and is responsible for project construction and operation, this will constitute Québec’s first “public-public” partnership project as CDPQ is simultaneously the owner and the primary investor and will delegate the construction works and operation to private partners.
We guided and assisted CPDQ on the procurement process in selecting its private partners for projects currently under study and in awarding the contract for the delivery of the projects under the selected project delivery approach. This mandate covers all legal activities related to the procurement process (request for expression of interest, request for qualification, call for proposals and closing of transactions) and legal advice on any matter pertaining to procurement for delivery of the projects up to and including financial closing of the transaction pursuant to which the private partners selected will sign their respective contracts.
The innovative structure of this product will be replicated in Canada and overseas by the Caisse and other pension funds.
Instead of a standard public-private partnership (P3) project, where a private consortium participates as a source of project financing and is responsible for project construction and operation, this will constitute Québec’s first “public-public” partnership project as CDPQ is simultaneously the owner and the primary investor and will delegate the construction works and operation to private partners.
We guided and assisted CPDQ on the procurement process in selecting its private partners for projects currently under study and in awarding the contract for the delivery of the projects under the selected project delivery approach. This mandate covers all legal activities related to the procurement process (request for expression of interest, request for qualification, call for proposals and closing of transactions) and legal advice on any matter pertaining to procurement for delivery of the projects up to and including financial closing of the transaction pursuant to which the private partners selected will sign their respective contracts.
The innovative structure of this product will be replicated in Canada and overseas by the Caisse and other pension funds.