GO EXPANSION PROGRAMME

$25 BILLION CAD

A green and white train moving on tracks with trees and bushes in the background.

PROGRAMME & PROJECT ADVISORY

BTTC was appointed by Metrolinx as the Independent Value Assessor (IVA) for the $25 billion GO Expansion Programme, Canada’s largest transit investment. We provided independent assurance on target price estimates, cost and schedule robustness, risk allocation, contracting strategy, and value for money across major progressive contracts including Bowmanville, SmartTrack Stations, East Harbour, On Corridor Works, and the Union Station Enhancement Project. Our challenge process identified $150 million in scope savings on SmartTrack, $70 million on Bowmanville, and reduced the schedule critical path by three years through value engineering. This role has strengthened governance, optimised delivery strategies, and embedded collaborative practices across one of North America’s most ambitious rail and rapid transit programmes.

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Working at Programme and Project level, BTTC provided strategic support to Metrolinx to strengthen programme delivery capability, adapt to new models, and enhance integration. We acted as an impartial advisor and “critical friend” to Project Delivery Teams, leveraging expertise in complex rail and rapid transit projects to identify opportunities for value and mitigate risks across multiple contract forms. Our approach supported procurement while building internal capability, bringing global knowledge and real-life experience to shape a flexible contract model that enabled Metrolinx to iteratively grow capability and progressively fill joint delivery team roles. Fostering a “how to think” mindset, we advanced knowledge transfer, reduced reliance on external consultants, and embedded global best practices for managing large, multi-disciplinary projects.

INDEPENDENT VALUE ASSESSMENT

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CULTURE CHANGE

BTTC was engaged by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario on the $25 billion On Corridor Works Project, the largest component of the GO Expansion Programme. We supported the Project Delivery Team in building and sustaining a collaborative, high-performing culture through leadership coaching, behavioural observation/feedback, and targeted interventions with the Senior Leadership Team. Over 400 team members took part in collaboration workshops that established a common language, improved communication, and strengthened decision-making across a diverse workforce. We also helped establish a sustainment strategy and collaborative working group to reinforce these behaviours over the life of the programme, enabling the team to manage rapid mobilisation and deliver one of North America’s most complex rail programmes.