VIA Rail Canada orders Charger locomotives and passenger trains from Siemens
Written by Konstantin Planinski on 12.12.2018
VIA Rail Canada has ordered 32 trainsets from Siemens Mobility for its passenger services on the Québec City–Windsor corridor. The EUR 650 million contract includes service for a period of 15 years.
Canada’s publicly-owned passenger carrier VIA Rail has awarded Siemens with a contract for the manufacturing and delivery of a total of 32 bi-directional trainsets. Valued at EUR 650 million (USD 989 million), the project also includes a 15-year Technical Services and Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA) that will support the maintenance of the new fleet which will take place in Canada by qualified VIA Rail employees at VIA Rail’s Montreal and Toronto Maintenance Centers.
Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2021, while revenue service is expected to start in 2022.
VIA Rail is currently operating some of the oldest trains in North America. Some of them date back to the 1950s and are at the end of their life. These will be replaced by bi-directional trains powered by Siemens Charger locomotives. This concept should result in lower operating costs, while increasing capacity and improving passenger comfort with features such as:
- Air suspension
- Wi-Fi, digital information and climate control systems
- Modern in-food service equipment
- Wheelchairs and other mobility devices accomodation
- Braille seat numbering and companion seating
- At-seat emergency call buttons
- Larger fully accessible washrooms
- Integrated mobility device lifts
Made in the USA – but with 20% national content
Siemens will manufacture the trains in its factory in Sacramento, California. The German manufacturer aims to create above 20% local content by working together with Canadian suppliers and service companies.
VIA Rail intends to deploy the new trainsets on what Siemens describes as its busiest route: the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. With a total length of around 2,200 km, the route connects Canada’s largest cities – Toronto and Montreal. According to Siemens the ridership numbers increased by 30% in 2018 – resulting an impressive 4,5 million passengers.
