Alstom has signed a contract with VIA Rail Canada for the design, manufacture and maintenance of 313 Adessia railcars, in a deal worth a total of CAD 4.7 billion (EUR 3 billion).
Alstom will supply the new rail vehicles for long-distance, regional and remote community services across Canada. The contract includes the production of 313 Adessia railcars, as well as a 15-year agreement for technical support services and the supply of spare parts, worth CAD 700 million (EUR 435.4 million).
The new Adessia railcars will replace VIA Rail Canada’s current fleet of rolling stock used on long-distance services and will serve eight major routes, connecting nearly 400 communities across Canada.
The cities and regions served include Montréal, Halifax, Gaspé, Jonquière, Senneterre, Toronto, Vancouver, Churchill, Prince Rupert, Jasper, Sudbury and White River.
The new trains will be designed and manufactured in Canada and will be adapted to the country’s extreme weather conditions. The project also aims to improve comfort, accessibility and digital connectivity for passengers.
The new Adessia railcars will be built in Canada
Replacing the existing trains, some of which are up to 77 years old, will enable the introduction of new standards in terms of passenger comfort, universal accessibility, digital connectivity and sustainability.
Production will be split across several Alstom sites in Canada. Design and engineering work will be carried out at the Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville site in Québec, the carriage bodies will be manufactured in La Pocatière, Québec, and final assembly will take place in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The fleet will be available in nine railcar configurations to cater for different types of journeys. These include standard railcars, sleeper railcars, accessible variants, couchette compartments, Prestige railcars, panoramic railcars, dome railcars, dining railcars and luggage railcars.
Passengers will benefit from more spacious and brighter interiors, full connectivity and modern cyber security systems.
For long-distance services, some of the traditional elements of the VIA Rail experience will be retained, such as dome railcars, catering services and social areas.
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