Timmins-Porcupine Station

Project Details

Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) is an agency of the Province of Ontario responsible for providing efficient, safe, and reliable transportation services in Northern Ontario. Current services include inter-community bus passenger and bus parcel delivery services, freight rail services that connect Northeastern Ontario to other markets across Canada and around the world, and passenger rail service on the Polar Bear Express. The Polar Bear Express has provided rail service connecting Cochrane to Moosonee and the Indigenous communities of the James Bay Coast since 1932. Previously, ONTC operated the Northlander passenger rail service between Toronto and Cochrane, however, this service was discontinued in 2012. 

 

ONTC is reinstating the passenger rail service between Toronto (Union Station) and Northeastern Ontario via the Northlander Passenger Rail (NEPR). NEPR will provide train service from Toronto’s Union Station to Timmins, with a rail connection from Timmins to Cochrane. To facilitate the return of this service, ONTC will be undertaking the infrastructure upgrades required to reinstate stations along the existing rail corridor, rail and track upgrades to ensure passenger safety and comfort, and building a new station in Timmins, to be known as Timmins – Porcupine Station. 

 

ONTC is seeking proposals for the construction, and all testing and commissioning of the new Timmins – Porcupine Station.  Construction will commence in the 2025 construction season, and, in summary, the work shall include the following:

 

• A new station building including:  

o    Wicket for travel tickets and information; 

o    Parcel drop-off/pick-up area; 

o    Passenger waiting area; 

o    Passenger washrooms; 

o    Breakroom for ONTC staff; 

o    Staff washroom and utility spaces; 

o    Parcel storage area, and 

o    Mechanical facilities. 

 

• A new platform with tactile edge warning strips; 
• Parking facilities including areas for accessible parking, taxi stalls, passenger pick-up/drop-off, general parking and employee parking; 
• Bus Bays to accommodate three (3) Ontario Northland Motor Coaches; 
• Pedestrian walkways around the site including access to the platform; and, 
• Signage and wayfinding, lighting, communications, and IT equipment.  

It is anticipated that the solicitation will be published in early December 2024. This is conditional on the RFP documents being completed.

 

Purpose

This Advance Procurement Notice (APN) is not a bid solicitation. ONTC is issuing this APN to provide details of ONTC’s intentions for the above-mentioned project.  As the procurement documents are not yet final, ONTC reserves the right to amend, supplement, or change any information within this APN. For further details, interested parties are to refer to the published RFP documents upon public posting which shall be available through MERX  (https://www.merx.com/) and the ONTC website (https://www.ontarionorthland.ca/en/requests-tenders).

 

There is no action required in response to this communication.  This communication is intended to provide notice to interested parties and to afford the opportunity for them to prepare and put together a proposal team.

 

Questions

Any questions relating to this APN can be addressed to:

 

            Ashley Commanda

            Manager, Public Procurement

            Ontario Northland Transportation Commission

             Email:  ashley.commanda@ontarionorthland.ca