Alstom has signed an agreement with VIA Rail Canada to design, engineer, manufacture and support a new Long Distance, Regional and Remote (LDRR) fleet that will shape the future of passenger rail mobility across Canada.
The agreement includes the delivery of 313 Adessia railway cars, valued at approximately C$4 billion, and a 15-year Technical Support and Spare Parts Supply Agreement (TSSSA) valued at nearly C$700 million, with the overall agreement representing a total value of C$4.7 billion (approximately 3 billion euro)1.
The new fleet will replace VIA Rail Canada’s existing long-distance fleet and will serve eight major routes connecting nearly 400 communities across the country, including services linking Montréal, Halifax, Gaspé, Jonquière, Senneterre, Toronto, Vancouver, Churchill, Prince Rupert, Jasper, Sudbury and White River.
Designed, engineered and manufactured in Canada, the new Adessia rail cars will expand opportunities for regional and remote travellers, including many First Nations communities, and are built to withstand the country’s climate extremes. The cars will retain the iconic look and feel that people love and cherish while integrating the world class experience that travellers today expect. Replacing 77-year-old cars with a modern fleet will set new standards for passenger comfort, universal accessibility, digital connectivity, and sustainability.
The new Adessia fleet will be available in nine different car configurations to support the diverse needs of long-distance, regional and remote travel, including coach, sleeper, accessible, berth, prestige, panorama, dome, dining and baggage cars. Passengers will benefit from brighter and more spacious interiors and full connectivity. The fleet will also incorporate the latest cybersecurity protections to support safe and reliable operations.
This generational investment by the Canadian federal authorities will help grow national rail industrial capacity and strengthen Canada’s resilience to current and future trade disruptions. The contract is expected to create or support up to 670 direct jobs at Alstom Canada and hundreds more indirect and induced jobs throughout the local supply chain and communities. Design and engineering activities will be carried out at Alstom’s facility in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec, with carbody manufacturing in La Pocatière, Québec and final assembly in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
-via Press Release
