Canada’s intercity transport operator, VIA Rail, awarded Siemens Mobility a EUR 650 million contract for the supply of 32 bi-directional trainsets with a 15-year service agreement. Delivery of the trainsets will begin in 2021 and passenger service in 2022. The new trains will be put into operation on VIA’s busiest route, the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor, connecting Toronto and Montreal. The corridor spans more than 2,200 kilometers in a northeast-southwest direction. The line carried more than 4.5 million passengers in 2018, representing an increase of more than 30 percent over the past four years.
The 32 trainsets will offer more than 9,100 comfortable seats. The trainsets will be equipped with modern climate control system, Wi-Fi and digital information system.
“As we are initiating the gradual withdrawal of the current fleet, the timely delivery of the new fleet will allow VIA Rail to maintain the current levels of service in the Québec-City Windsor Corridor, while significantly improving the quality of its passenger experience,” said Yves-Desjardins-Siciliano, President of VIA Rail Canada.
The 32 trainsets will be powered by the fuel-efficient diesel-electric Charger locomotives. The trainsets will feature Enhanced Universal Accessibility, offering multiple accommodations for wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
They will be manufactured in Siemens Mobility’s North American Manufacturing Headquarters for Rolling Stock located in Sacramento, California. Siemens Mobility aims to include Canadian content of more than 20 percent of supplies and service.
More than 70 Siemens Mobility Charger locomotives are successfully operating across North America transporting passengers and traveling nearly 5 million kilometers per year.
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