VIA RAIL CANADA INC.
FLEET RENEWAL PROJECT
NOTICE OF MARKET CONSULTATION
January 15, 2017
Background
1. Since 1977, VIA Rail has operated Canada's inter-city passenger rail service on behalf of the Government of Canada. VIA Rail operates 475 trains per week in eight Canadian provinces over a network of 12,500 kilometers of track. VIA Rail’s total fleet currently consists of 73 locomotives and 444 coach cars (including passenger, sleeping, service, and baggage cars). Over 90 per cent of passengers served by VIA Rail travelled within the Quebec-Windsor Corridor.
2. VIA Rail intends to renew its existing fleet in the Quebec-Windsor Corridor by partnering with a supplier to design, manufacture, test, supply, deliver and commission a number of trainsets and ancillary equipment with a prescribed capacity of seats and two classes of services (business class and economy class) through an open competitive procurement process (the “Fleet Renewal Project”).
3. In 2016, the Federal Government of Canada provided VIA Rail with funding to proceed with pre-procurement activities regarding its Fleet Renewal Project. As part of these pre-procurement activities, VIA Rail had provided the industry with a draft of the technical specifications for comments. As a continuation of the pre-procurement activities, VIA Rail now intends to engage in consultations with trainset manufacturers to solicit feedback on VIA Rail’s proposed maintenance and commercial documents, i.e. the Manufacture and Supply Agreement (“MSA”), the Technical Support and Spare Parts Supply Agreement (“TSSSA”) and the Maintenance Requirement Specification (“MRS”) (collectively the “Maintenance and Commercial Documents”).
4. Through this consultation, VIA Rail’s objective is to reduce the eventual in-market time by continuing to work with trainset manufacturers through this consultative pre-procurement process to consider market input on both technical and commercial questions prior to the commencement of a formal procurement process.
Eligibility for Participation in the Market Consultation
5. Participation in the Market Consultation for the Fleet Renewal Project is open to all manufacturers that can demonstrate to VIA Rail, in its sole discretion, that they can manufacture and supply complete intercity trainsets of passenger seated vehicles with motive power, either solely or in formal partnership.
6. Only those trainset manufacturers that are determined to be eligible and that have executed a non-disclosure agreement in the form attached to this notice, (“each a Market Consultation Participant”) will be eligible to participate in Market Consultation and to receive the draft Maintenance and Commercial Documents. VIA Rail reserves the right to request documentation demonstrating a manufacturer’s qualifications.
Comments on Commercial Documents
7. VIA Rail is interested in receiving written comments from each Market Consultation Participant on the draft Maintenance and Commercial Documents no later than February 9, 2018.
8. VIA Rail requests that Market Consultation Participants provide any input or comments on the draft Maintenance and Commercial Documents in chart form with columns for document name, relevant document references (for example, document name and section reference), proposed wording changes (in blackline format) and rationale for proposed wording changes.
Meetings with Market Consultation
Participants
9. VIA Rail intends to invite those Market Consultation Participants to participate in a meeting, either in person or by phone, with VIA Rail between February 19 and March 2 to review their comments.
10. P1 Consulting Inc. will act as a fairness monitor for the Market Consultation and will attend all meetings with Market Consultation Participants.
VIA Rail Contact
11.The VIA Rail contact person for the Market Consultation is Mr. Marc James who can be reached at soumissions_tenders@viarail.ca. All communications relating to this Market Consultation should be directed to Mr. James.
