VIA Rail Canada announced the shortlisted applicants that will participate in the Request for Proposals (RFP) to manufacture the rolling stock to replace the current fleet that operates in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.
Bombardier Transportation Canada, Siemens Canada Limited, Stadler US Inc and Talgo Inc are the qualified companies which will have to submit their proposal until October 5.
“By inviting four world-class train manufacturers to participle in the RFP to replace our corridor fleet, we have reached an important milestone of our transformation plan to lead Canadians towards a more sustainable future,” Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, VIA Rail Canada President said.
In March, Via Rail launched the first phase of its procurement process to select the supplier for the Quebec-Windsor Corridor fleet. The project involves the acquisition of 32 bi-directional trainsets with 9,100 passenger seats. The requested criteria envisage enhanced universal accessibility features, more fuel-efficient, Tier 4 Diesel engines, with the option to operate on electrified rail infrastructure as it becomes available as well as the ability for trainsets to be bi-directional.
Funding to replace VIA Rail’s corridor fleet was provided by the federal government in its 2018 budget.
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor accounts for 94% of VIA Rail’s ridership.
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