Alstom will provide 30 Citadis low-floor light rail vehicles for the project. Alstom also was chosen to provide cars for expansion of Ottawa's existing O-train.

Other players in the Rideau consortium include Ellis Don Corp., Veolia Transportation, BBB architects, and Thurber Engineering.

The federal government and Ontario's provincial government each has committed up to C$600 million for the C$2.1 billion project, now named the Confederation Line. The 7.7-mile line will run from Tunney's Pasture to Blair Road and will include a downtown tunnel, the need and scope of which has been hotly debated for some time.