Federal government to spend $1.9B replacing Via Rail fleet with Swiss-built hybrid trains
Ottawa is funding 45 new locomotives to be built by Stadler, with 36 assembled in Canada after workers train in Spain. First trains arrive by 2031; 1,200 jobs expected.
Sources · local media reports
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The federal government is spending $1.6 billion to replace 45 of Via Rail's aging locomotives with a new fleet designed and built by Switzerland-based Stadler, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced Tuesday in Montreal.
The deal includes a $357 million investment to construct a new assembly plant and maintenance facility in Montreal. Nine trains will be built in Spain, with Canadian workers learning the manufacturing process there before building the remaining 36 domestically — making the final 80 percent of the fleet Canadian-assembled.
The hybrid trains will be equipped with Canadian-made batteries and will replace Via Rail's fleet across the country, except on the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, where the federal government is planning a separate high-speed rail line.
MacKinnon said the deal is expected to create 1,200 new full-time jobs. The first trains are scheduled for delivery by 2031.
How much will tickets on the new trains cost compared to current fares?
When exactly will passengers start seeing these trains on routes — is 2031 the delivery or the full-service date?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How much is the federal government spending on new Via Rail trains?
$1.6 billion is being spent to replace 45 of Via Rail's locomotives with a new fleet built by Switzerland-based Stadler.
How many new Via Rail trains will be assembled in Canada?
36 of the 45 new trains will be assembled in Canada, after Canadian workers learn the manufacturing process in Spain where 9 trains will be built.
When will the first new Via Rail trains arrive?
The first trains are scheduled for delivery by 2031.
How many jobs are expected from this Via Rail investment?
The deal is expected to create 1,200 new full-time jobs.
