In an even more exciting follow-up to July’s news, the Government of Canada announced today that the contract to build VIA Rail’s new long distance, regional, and remote (LDRR) fleet of passenger cars has been awarded to Alstom Canada. The new cars, which will serve the Ocean as well as other long distance routes across the country, will be designed and built entirely in Canada, with components constructed at the former Bombardier plant in La Pocatière and transported to Thunder Bay for final assembly.
Today’s announcement was heralded as the largest single investment in VIA Rail’s history, and at a whopping $4.7 billion to build and maintain 313 passenger cars, this description certainly seems apt. It is the culmination of a years-long process that launched into high gear with the funding green light in Budget 2024, a decision that was welcomed by Transport Action as the culmination of our dilligent advocacy.
The first of the new cars are set to be delivered by 2031, with the full fleet in service by 2035. Delivery will be gradual, with the new cars phased in alongside the existing legacy fleet. The press announcement highlights that in addition to bringing many modern upgrades and amenities, the all-Canadian design process will focus on ensuring that the equipment is purpose built for the Canadian climate, able to handle frigid winters and hot summers. If this process goes well, the end result could be a purpose-built product that is truly suited to its target operating conditions; no more second-hand stock built for fairer climates!
Another welcome element of this announcement is that the design of the new equipment is clearly aiming to match the classic elements that have made rail travel something distinct and special, with a mix of sleeper accommodations, generous lounges, proper dining facilities (promising a return to meals cooked on board), and ample opportunities to take in the scenery – including, most notable of all, the construction of true modern dome cars, a successor to the iconic Skyline and Park cars that have been a signature of VIA travel. For our region, this is a welcome promise of a return of the domes that we lost after the removal of the Ocean‘s Park cars, as the new cars will be mid-train and capable of bidirectional operation.
The overall number of cars is also excellent news. The new order of 313 cars represents roughly a 50% increase over the current operable legacy VIA fleet, and will bring the railway back to capacity more comparable to when the Renaissance fleet first arrived, and before many cars were retired or removed from service. This should be sufficient to accommodate increases in service, and we believe that a return of daily Ocean service should be a priority.
Moving forward, TAA will focus our advocacy on the elements needed to ensure that service in the Maritimes is able to improve and take full advantage of this exciting investment; specifically, we will push for the best use of the existing fleet to serve VIA’s customers over the next 5-10 years as this fleet is built, we will continue to advocate for the repair and revival of the Newcastle Subdivision to improve travel times, and we will continue to insist on the expansion of the Ocean from a triweekly train to daily service. Today, the Government seems to have grand visions about the future of passenger rail in this country; let’s see if they’re serious about doing more to really transform these services now and in the long term.
