The Government of Canada announced its commitment to fund the replacement of Via Rail fleet which will improve the passenger experience by introducing new, comfortable, and accessible trains.
The rail operator announced that will “soon be launching the procurement process to replace the trains on the Ocean, the Canadian, the Winnipeg – Churchill, as well as all our other remote and regional routes across the country.”
The new trains will ensure predictability for the communities outside the corridor routes that connect eight provinces and provide essential transport services to rural and remote communities.
Under the budget 2024, the Ministry of Transport announced it will provide funding for new rolling stock to operate routes outside the Québec City – Windsor Corridor.
“Budget 2024 investments in Via Rail fleet renewal will enhance the passenger experience, promote environmentally friendly travel options, and bring communities and local economies together. We’re building vibrant communities and strong regions for the next generation,” Pablo Rodriguez, the Minister of Transport said.
Renewing Via Rail fleet is built on its success of company’s corridor rolling stock replacement programme and the latest project will bring modern, reliable, accessible, and sustainable trains to the entire country.
In 2022, Via Rail started to deploy its new generation of trains on Québec City – Windsor Corridor which represented 96% of its ridership in 2019. The new trainsets are part of a CAD 989 million (USD 721.5 million) contract signed with Siemens Mobility in 2018 for the supply of 32 trains.
In June 2024, the Canadian rail operator announced the arrival of its new fleet in Southwestern Ontario, between London and Windsor. The achievement of this major modernisation milestone means that by the summer of 2024, the entire Québec City – Windsor corridor will be served by state-of-the-art, modern, accessible and environmentally friendly trains. The new trains will progressively replace the old fleet starting this summer, completely transforming the quality of service on Via Rail trains for the coming decades.
Via Rail currently operates some of the oldest trains in North America, some dating back to the 1950s, and most of the cars currently in service are nearing the end of their life. In 2019, the operator started to retire a portion of its rolling stock, as such, on-time delivery was a key criterion to maintain the current level of services and jobs in the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor.
Under the Quebec City – Windsor corridor fleet replacement, Via Rail started to renovate and modernise 17 accessible cars, 25 economy cars, 4 dining cars and 33 economy and business cars.
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