Stage 1 of the ION rapid transit system in Ontario, Canada, also known as the Waterloo Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, received a Gold Award in the Service Delivery category from The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, as part of its 2020 National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships (P3).

STV was the lead systems engineer and safety and security consultant for the joint venture consortium that was selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the light rail transit system. In this role, the firm served as the designer and integration manager of the line’s overhead contact system, train control system, public address/variable message sign control system, voice-over-IP telephone, access control, wireless communication service, and CCTV system. Under a separate contract, STV also led the development of a System Safety and Security Plan.

The ION light rail system was built and financed through a public-private partnership between the Region of Waterloo, and GrandLinq, a consortium of investors, developers, engineering consultants, and contractors that will operate and maintain the system for 33 years.

ION Stage 1 consists of 19 new stations and an operations and maintenance facility along an 11.8-mile route between Kitchener and Waterloo.