Canadian Constructor EllisDon Forms Partnership to Privately Develop Alberta High-Speed Rail

New Prairie Link High Speed Rail Partners signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta Transportation to advance the proposed C$9 billion line connecting Edmonton and Calgary through Red Deer

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EllisDon partnered with AECOM to develop high-speed rail connecting Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The team proposed the privately funded project to the Government of Alberta’s Unsolicited Proposal Guidelines and Framework.

“The notion of high-speed rail – a proven technology around the world – connecting Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary in Alberta is not new, but we believe that its time has come. We have built a team with both the capacity and faith in the future of our province to advance it in a meaningful way for Albertans,” said Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, director with EllisDon Capital and project director for the new partnership, Prairie Link High Speed Rail Partners

Prairie Link secured a Memorandum of Understanding from Alberta Transportation laying the foundation for cooperatively advancing project development. With an estimated capital cost of $9 billion, the project will be among the largest and most defining nation-building transportation projects in Alberta’s history.

EllisDon and AECOM are both global experts in capital, design, engineering, construction management, development and operations, and the two companies have worked together on more than 20 Canadian projects over the past 10 years.

EllisDon is an employee-owned, $5 billion-a-year construction services company that has grown exponentially, with extensive experience in infrastructure development. The Ontario-based company has more than 5,000 salaried and hourly employees across fifteen national and international offices. The company has completed more than 400 projects in Alberta. In the last 10 years its Alberta work has been worth $6.9 billion. The company has completed 160 alternative-delivery projects.

AECOM is a Fortune 500, global infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. Project experience spans transportation, buildings, water, energy and the environment, with public- and private-sector clients. The Los Angeles-based company has been operational in Alberta since 1906, and has completed $12.5 billion worth of transportation work in Alberta over the past 10 years.

“Since this is a private sector initiative it is very important to us that we continue to maintain positive and solution-orientated day-to-day relationships with the great people that work for the Government of Alberta,” said Joey Comeau, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of EllisDon Capital and chair of the board of Prairie Link.

The Prairie Link team has already commenced Indigenous engagement and established an advisory committee to guide project development and deliver generational prosperity of Indigenous partners, the regional prosperity of Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary and each county in between, and support the growth of both international airports in Alberta.

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