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The long-anticipated Evergreen Line train to Coquitlam, which will begin operating on Friday, came in under budget, according to the provincial government.

During a technical briefing on Tuesday, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the project had a budget of $1.431 billion, and will end up costing $70 million to $85 million less than that once all outstanding costs are closed out in a few months’ time.

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This is despite significant issues, such as sinkholes, that arose during the boring of a two-kilometre-long tunnel.

One major factor in the project coming in under budget is the fixed-price contract signed with EGRT Construction, which designed and built the SkyTrain line. The province knew that tunnel boring could prove costly, and EGRT agreed to take on the financial risk.

EGRT incurred “considerable” costs thanks to the tunnel boring issues — believed to be in the tens of millions, it was revealed during the briefing — and no compensation was paid by the province. The contract with EGRT is closed and there are no outstanding claims.