Canada: The French manufacturer and the national operator VIA Rail have signed a contract for the delivery of 313 Adessia coaches.
The procurement, along with 15 years of maintenance service, is valued at CAD 4.7 bln ($3.5 bln) and funded by the Canadian government. The rolling stock is intended to renew VIA Rail’s existing fleet, which mainly includes coaches produced between 1947 and 1955.
Alstom acquired competencies for passenger coach production in 2021, after the takeover of Bombardier Transportation. It is worth noting that Alstom has previously used the Adessia platform for only multiple units solutions.
The coaches will be fully Canada-made. Alstom will carry out the design activities at its St-Bruno-de-Montarville facility and the body manufacturing in La Pocatière. The final assembly is to be undertaken at the Thunder Bay site, which has earlier faced financial difficulties due to lack of orders. The contract is expected to create or sustain up to 670 direct jobs.
The new rolling stock will be able to operate at temperatures from –50 °C to +50 °C. The variety of configurations will include sitting coaches, four classes of sleeper coaches, luggage carriages along with dining, panorama and dome coaches.
Alstom’s new coaches will be hauled by 45 hybrid locomotives, ordered by VIA Rail from Stadler in July. The final assembly of the majority of the vehicles will also be localised in Canada at a new facility in Montreal. The four-axle locomotives will combine diesel and battery traction.
