OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada has provided the first detailed look at its new equipment for corridor service, unveiling the first full trainset at the Ottawa station.
A total of 32 Siemens-built trainsets will serve the Quebec City-Windsor, Ont., corridor. Testing of the first trainset will begin this month, with the first of the new equipment expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2022.
“This new fleet marks a new era for passenger rail service in the Corridor, where we served over 4.7 million passengers in 2019 and which represented 96% of our ridership pre-pandemic,” VIA Rail CEO Cynthia Garneau said in a press release. “In addition to being one of the most environmentally friendly fleets in North America, this modern new fleet will offer our passengers an unparalleled, barrier-free, and fully accessible travel experience.”
Features of the new cars include:
— Wider aisles, automatic touchless interior doors, adjustable tray tables, ergonomic seats, and high-speed WiFi;
— Full accessibility, with six onboard wheelchair lifts, five Mobility Aid Spaces for wheelchair users per trainset, large accessible washrooms, braille, and embossed signage.
— Bidirectional operation powered by Siemens Charger locomotives, capable of 125-mph operation meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 emissions standards.
In their standard configuration, with a locomotive, four coaches, and a cab car, the trainsets will include 194 economy-class seats and 87 business-class seats.
