Metrolinx, the regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, has been asked by the Ontario government to build, own and operate (BOO) the Air Rail Link (ARL) from Union Station to Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Metrolinx will assume responsibility for the project including design, construction and operations and will incorporate the work that has already been
done to date. Metrolinx's operating division, GO Transit, has a 40-year track record of running a passenger rail service.

The ARL will provide a premium express rail shuttle service between Union Station and Pearson Airport. The ARL will be an important link for business people and travellers and will be ready for the 2015 Pan American Games.

While the province and the Union Pearson Air-Link Group (UPAG), a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, were able to make significant progress negotiating, financial market conditions prevented acceptable terms. The government will continue to work with UPAG to build on the design and development
work that has been completed to date.

Construction is already underway on the GO Georgetown South Corridor to support the Air Rail Link connection. This project is expected to create approximately 10,000 jobs in the design and construction stages over the next five years.

Each year, more than five million people travel between downtown and the airport and that number is expected to reach nine million by 2020. The ARL will help meet the tremendous demand for a direct service by connecting the busiest airport in Canada with the busiest transit and passenger rail hub in the country and will take 1.2 million car trips off our roads in its first year of operation alone.