Final assembly of the Swiss manufacturer’s locomotives is set to move to Canada, while in the US the company has already finished expanding its Salt Lake City plant.
Locomotives for Canada
Stadler has won a tender to supply national operator VIA Rail with 45 hybrid passenger locomotives. The contract is worth CAD 1.6 bln ($1.1 bln) and includes 20 years of maintenance.
Canadian company Pomerleau will build the production facility in Montreal, backed by CAD 357 mln ($250 mln) from the Canadian government. The plant is expected to handle final assembly of up to 36 locomotives, plus testing and ongoing maintenance. Design and manufacturing work, though, will remain largely at Stadler’s plant in Valencia, Spain.
Visualisation of a hybrid locomotive from Stadler for VIA Rail. Source: VIA Rail
The four-axle locomotives will run on either a diesel engine or traction battery modules, built by ABB at its plant in Saint-Laurent, Canada. They will deliver 4 MW at the wheel, a starting tractive effort of 350 kN, and a top speed of 160 km/h. Battery mode will support the diesel engine and come into its own at stations and other designated zones.
Expansion in the United States
Stadler has also opened extra production space at its Salt Lake City plant, adding 22,700 m² in total. The new area covers a welding hall, a blasting booth, an assembly hall, extra warehouse space and an electrical assembly hall. The company expects the expansion to create up to 300 jobs.
Stadler has also broken ground on a new hall where CNC machines will cut side, floor and roof panels from aluminium extrusions. For now, the Salt Lake City plant focuses on multiple-unit rolling stock.
According to Stadler’s 2025 financial statements, the Americas accounted for 6.6% of total revenue across all business areas, up from 4.6% in 2024.
