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The federal government has announced almost $2 billion in funding to modernize Via Rail’s passenger fleet with 45 new hybrid battery-diesel passenger locomotives.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon made the announcement in Montreal on Wednesday, highlighting that 36 of the 45 new locomotives built by Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler will be assembled in Canada.
“Today, for the first time in more than 25 years, we’re bringing passenger rail locomotive assembly back to Montreal,” MacKinnon said in a statement.
“By combining Canadian expertise with world-class European innovation, we’re strengthening our economy while building a more resilient passenger rail network for the future.”
The funding to renew Via Rail’s aging fleet of locomotives was first announced in Budget 2024.
A government statement said $1.6 billion of the $1.95 billion the federal government is funnelling into the project will be used to pay for the construction of the new locomotives.
Another $357 million will allow VIA Rail to build a new assembly and maintenance facility in Montreal. This new facility will be built by Canadian construction company Pomerleau.
The Liberal government said their nearly $2-billion investment will “support the equivalent of 1,200 full-time jobs throughout the project, including skilled manufacturing, construction, engineering and long-term maintenance jobs.”
A North American first
MacKinnon’s department said in a statement that the trains will be “North America’s first hybrid-powered passenger locomotives.”
Transport Canada also said that these new lower-emission trains will lay “the groundwork for future zero-emission propulsion,” but it does not put a timeline on when that will happen.
The batteries powering the trains will be supplied by ABB, a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation with facilities across Canada.
The Via Rail batteries in the new trains will be supplied by ABB’s facility in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough.
Conservatives unhappy with Spain role
Conservative MP Dan Albas said he supports the effort to give Via Rail newer, better trains but has concerns that the locomotives will be built in Spain and only assembled in Canada.
“To me this is against the spirit of buy Canada, Canada Strong, and I expect better of the government,” he said.
The first nine locomotives built and assembled in Spain, with the remaining 36 assembled in Canada.
In 2018 Via Rail selected Germany’s Siemens, whose North American manufacturing headquarters is based in California, for a nearly $1-billion contract to build new passenger locomotives.
Asked if he would rather the federal government took the same path this time, Albas said he wants the government to stick to its buy Canada policy.
“What was brought forward by minister MacKinnon is not what they promised us,” Albas said. “We asked and we demanded a buy Canada strategy.”
