July 16, 2009
Government of Canada and VIA Rail Canada launch major Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto passenger rail improvement project
TORONTO, July 16, 2009 - At a ceremony at Toronto's Union Station, the Government of Canada and VIA announced $300 million dollars in support for the largest-ever improvement and investment program in the 153-year history of passenger rail service between Montreal and Toronto: VIA's Canadian National Kingston Subdivision Project.
"It gives me great pleasure to unveil this strategic investment in the upgrading of the Montreal-Toronto main line, which is the heart of the Canadian passenger rail system," said Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear, on behalf of Minister of State for Transport Rob Merrifield. "This project, announced through Canada's Economic Action Plan, will create new jobs and expand passenger rail service in this important transportation corridor."
Totalling over $300 million, VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project is a series of infrastructure improvements at eight locations along the 539-kilometre, double-track rail line. It will boost capacity by eliminating bottlenecks and greatly reducing delay-causing conflicts between VIA passenger and CN freight trains.
Phase I of the project will allow for the addition of two daily roundtrip frequencies on VIA's busy Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Ottawa routes. The latter operates over the Kingston Subdivision between Toronto and Brockville.
"Today is the dawn of a new era in safe, swift and sustainable passenger rail travel in Canada," said VIA Chairman Donald A. Wright. "Just as the opening of this rail line 153 years ago changed the whole concept of travel between the burgeoning cities of southern Ontario and Quebec, this project has the same transformational potential. It will decisively position the passenger train as the modern answer to highway gridlock and airport winglock."
CN's (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) executive vice-president, Claude Mongeau said: "CN is pleased to support VIA and the federal government on this important infrastructure project. CN has traditionally maintained the Kingston Subdivision to its highest track standards in recognition of its importance to intercity passenger traffic and key flows of rail freight. CN will undertake the engineering work for the rail-line improvements on behalf of VIA. When completed, the additional trackage will benefit VIA passenger service across its Canadian network."
VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project is part of an unprecedented $923 million investment by the Government of Canada in passenger rail renewal and expansion. Of this amount, $407 million is under the government's Economic Action Plan.
Other elements of VIA's program include expanded, fully-accessible station facilities at strategic locations on the Montreal-Toronto route, major infrastructure and station upgrading on other routes, accessibility projects for travellers with special needs and the complete rebuilding of service-proven locomotives and rolling stock. The program will benefit rail travellers across the entire VIA transcontinental system, from Halifax to Vancouver Island.
Highlights of VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project include:
- construction of additional ("third") main line track to enable VIA and CN trains to pass or overtake each other safely and quickly;
- extensions to sidings and yard tracks to allow CN freight trains to exit and clear the main line when required; and
- other track and signal improvements to smooth the flow of VIA passenger and CN freight traffic, assuring consistent on-time performance for both.
Work on VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project will begin this summer and wrap up in 2011. To date, CN has hired 100 track and signal workers for its portion of the work, which will be performed under contract with VIA. Additional jobs will be created throughout the two-year span of the project within both CN and other private sector companies participating in this project.
VIA's F-40 Locomotive Rebuild Project
In Montreal today, the Government of Canada and VIA announced the arrival of the first of 54 rebuilt F-40 locomotives from CAD Railway Industries (CAD) from Lachine, Quebec. The enhanced F-40 fleet will incorporate new technologies that will reduce green-house gas GHG emissions by up to 12%, produce fuel savings of 5 million litres per year, and reduce maintenance costs by 8% annually.
About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network.
The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle-free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. In 2008, VIA safely transported 4.6 million passengers - the most since 1989 - and set an all-time record of $299 million in revenue.
About CN
The Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries span Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico. CN serves the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. CN shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CNR" and on the New York Stock Exchange under "CNI."
Backgrounders:
VIA's CN Kingston subdivision project
Canada's Steel Speedway
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
VIA's two-year CN Kingston Subdivision Project, valued at more than $300 million, will greatly expand the capacity of what is one of North America's most heavily used and fastest rail lines. It will relieve congestion at key locations on this double-track line and smooth the flow of time-sensitive VIA passenger and CN freight traffic. This will allow for the addition of new passenger services and assure on-time performance by both railways.
The Kingston Subdivision Project will build on the improvements underway or soon to begin on other segments of VIA's Quebec-Windsor Corridor, which generates about 90% of VIA's ridership and revenue. The project is also strategically linked with the current rebuilding of the locomotive and rolling stock fleets.
This work is all part of an unprecedented $923 million capital investment by this government - including $407 million under the Economic Action Plan - to improve and expand VIA's safe, costeffective and environmentally-friendly passenger rail service. Phase I of VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project includes: -
Additional main line track
Sections of third main line track will be added to the existing double-track line west of the Brockville station, between Mallorytown and east of Gananoque, from Napanee West to the Belleville station, between Grafton and the Cobourg station, and at Oshawa. With this additional track, three or more trains - VIA passenger and CN freight - will be able to safely and quickly overtake or pass each other without stopping. A fourth track will be built at Belleville to further expand capacity at this busy station.
As well, additional remotely-controlled crossovers and signalling that allow trains to move quickly from one main track to another will be installed at various locations. Warning systems will be modified and upgraded at all public road level crossings within these areas. -
Expanded freight siding and yard track
In the Greater Montreal Area, sidings and yard tracks at Turcot, Les Cedres and Coteau will be extended and rearranged so CN freight trains may stop to perform work without blocking the main line.
At Brockville, Belleville, Cobourg and Oshawa, new island platforms will be built between the tracks. These will eliminate the need for all trains to cross over to one side of the main line to board or disembark passengers at the current station platforms. The new platforms will be connected with the stations by fully-accessible bridges or tunnels, so passengers will not have to cross the tracks.
ABOUT THE PROJECT'S BENEFITS:
The main transportation benefit of the first phase of VIA's CN Kingston Subdivision Project will be the creation of enough capacity to safely and efficiently handle two additional daily roundtrips on the Montreal-Toronto and Ottawa-Toronto routes, as well as further additions to the Montreal-Ottawa service.
Additional departure and arrival times - as well as assured on-time performance - are key factors in encouraging more travellers to choose environmentally-beneficial passenger rail for journeys within and beyond VIA's Quebec-Windsor Corridor. Trains emit only one-third the greenhouse gases per passenger of intercity automobiles and planes.
The VIA Kingston Subdivision Project will also stimulate much new economic activity and job creation. To date, CN has hired 100 workers to undertake this project on behalf of VIA. Additional jobs will be created throughout the two-year span of the project. The project will also generate additional economic activity and employment for those private firms supplying track, signal and construction materials and services to VIA and CN.
ABOUT THE LINE:
The CN Kingston Subdivision - over which VIA operates its most frequent and fastest trains - was built by the pioneering Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) as part of a scheme with two major objectives. First, it would link the largest cities and towns of British North America with a flat and direct route along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The GTR's promoters accurately described it as "the Canadian Main Line."
Equally important, it would be an international line providing the shortest and fastest route from the U.S. railway hub of Chicago to the ice-free Atlantic seaport of Portland, Maine. The Toronto- Montreal section was at the heart of this system.
Incorporated on November 10, 1852, the GTR's Canadian and British investors aimed to create a railway that would exert the same nation-building influence as the Roman Empire's trunk roads - hence its name. Its construction was a combination of Canadian and British railway "know-how."
When the Toronto-Montreal section was opened on October 27, 1856, the inaugural train of one wood-burning steam locomotive and seven cars took 14 hours to traverse the route at an averagespeed of 50 km/hour - a far cry from the 160 km/hour service of today's VIA passenger trains.
Today, the CN Kingston Subdivision is a 539-kilometre double-track line linking Montreal Central Station with Toronto Union Station and numerous important intermediate stations. The Scarborough-Union Station section was triple-tracked in 2008 with federal and provincial funds for expanded GO Transit commuter rail service.
The CN Kingston Subdivision consists of track built with high-strength steel rails rolled in specialized mills in Canada, the U.S. and Germany, which weigh 132 to 136 pounds per yard (Canada's railways continue to use Imperial units of measure in order to match the standards employed continent-wide). The 78-foot rail sections are welded into continuous lengths - often referred to as "ribbon rail" - a quarter-mile or more in length. This continuous welded rail largely eliminates the romantic "clickety-clack" sound of old, but it is smoother and less maintenance intensive than jointed or bolted rail.
The rail is positioned and held in place under the tremendous dynamic and lateral forces of the trains with steel tie plates and rail anchors, and then spiked to treated hardwood crossties. The ties are spaced 22" apart, requiring 3,110 ties per mile of single track. The track is laid to the standard gauge of 4'8½" between the railheads. This track structure is built on top of a three-part roadbed that consists of a layer of clean earth sub-grade, gravel sub-ballast and crushed rock ballast on top.
One mile of main line track on the CN Kingston Subdivision requires 240 tons of rails, six tons of spikes, 63 tons of tie plates and 2,730 tons of ballast. Building a single-track section without bridges or diverging track switches costs about $3 million per mile.
The mix and density of rail traffic that operates over this robust track structure is among the most complex in North America. Over various segments of the route, it accommodates everything from VIA's 160-km/hour passenger trains to 100-km/hour CN trains carrying various types of freight to the 120-km/hour commuter trains of Toronto's GO Transit.
In total, the various segments of the CN Kingston Subdivision are traversed on a typical weekday by as many as 130 trains, including: - 36 VIA intercity passenger trains; - 22 CN freight trains; and - 72 GO Transit commuter trains.
Due to the speed, length and weight differences between intercity passenger and freight trains, the most complex section of the line is between Kingston and Pickering Junction, where the majority of CN trains diverge on to the freight bypass line that takes them north of Toronto to the city's main hump classification yard in Maple. GO's Oshawa-Toronto commuter trains enter the Kingston Subdivision here, using a parallel GO-exclusive line from Oshawa to this busy junction point. GO's Stouffville commuter trains enter the Kingston Subdivision farther west at Scarborough Junction.
Operations on the Kingston Subdivision are directed by computer-assisted Centralized Traffic Control under the direction of rail traffic controllers (RTCs) at CN's Rail Traffic Control Centres in Toronto and Montreal. Train movements are governed by signal indications and radio instructions from the RTCs.
ABOUT VIA'S QUEBEC-WINDSOR CORRIDOR:
VIA's 1,150-kilometre Quebec-Windsor Corridor serves the most densely populated and industrialized area of the country, which is home to more than half of Canada's population. The corridor is at the heart of VIA's 12,500-kilometre transcontinental route network, generating more than 3.5 million trips annually and accounting for nearly 90% of the corporation's ridership and revenue. VIA's Quebec-Windsor Corridor services include five primary routes: - Quebec-Montreal; - Montreal-Ottawa; - Montreal-Toronto; - Ottawa-Toronto; and - Toronto-Windsor.
Two additional connecting routes within this region extend VIA's reach to cities such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Stratford, Sarnia and Niagara Falls.
More than 400 of VIA's 503 weekly passenger trains operate on the five main corridor routes every week. The Montreal-Toronto route is the most frequent in the VIA network, offering travellers six weekday departures from its end terminals. Residents of the City of Kingston - who are also served by VIA's Ottawa-Toronto trains - have a choice of 11 convenient departure times for points west to Toronto.
Three railways own the lines over which VIA's Quebec-Windsor Corridor trains operate. VIA owns, maintains and operates three key segments of the Quebec-Windsor Corridor: Coteau-Ottawa, Ottawa-Smiths Falls and Chatham-Windsor. The Smiths Falls-Brockville line is owned by Canadian Pacific and all the other lines belong to CN. VIA reimburses CN and CP for the use of their line segments, which are shared with those railways' freight trains.
ABOUT VIA RAIL CANADA:
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network.
The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle-free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. In 2008,
VIA safely transported 4.6 million passengers - the most since 1989 - and set an all-time record of $299 million in revenue.
ABOUT CN:
The Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries span Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico. CN serves the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. CN shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CNR" and on the New York Stock Exchange under "CNI."
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VIA's F40 Locomotive Fleet
Thoroughbreds Reborn: VIA's F-40 Fleet
ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVES
In more than a century of diesel-powered railroading, only a select few locomotives have possessed that rare combination of speed, strength, stamina and reliability to earn them a reputation as "thoroughbreds of the rails." The General Motors Electro- Motive Division (EMD) F-40 is a member of this elite stable of diesel-electric motive power.
Like many of the most successful innovations, the F-40 was born of adversity. Amtrak - the U.S. equivalent of VIA - desperately needed new locomotives for both its short- and long-haul passenger trains. Two previous attempts failed to deliver rugged, reliable and versatile locomotives to replace the life-expired motive power Amtrak acquired from the freight railways at its inception in 1971.
EMD rose to this challenge and produced the first F-40 in 1976 under a crash development program that built on the solid performance of its four-axle GP40 series of freight locomotives, adapting many of its prime systems for the specialized requirements of
passenger service. Amtrak's first series of F-40s dramatically improved its service reliability and costs, leading the corporation to eventually purchase 216 of these robust machines. As well, the F-40 soon found a market among commuter rail operators, including Toronto's GO Transit.
When VIA was in a position to acquire new and much-needed motive power in 1986, the updated F-40PH-2 won the competition. As on Amtrak, VIA's F-40s replaced the 1950s vintage diesel-electric locomotives, which the Crown Corporation acquired when it took over the former Canadian National and Canadian Pacific passenger services in 1978.
The F-40's continent-wide service record proved it would be up to the diverse demands of VIA's far-flung transcontinental system. It became equally at home on the head end of everything from fast Quebec-Windsor Corridor trains to remote northern services to the lengthy eastern and western transcontinental runs. Impressed with the service delivered by the first 20 units, VIA placed two additional F-40 orders in 1987 and 1988. The final unit, 6458, was delivered in July 1989. The F-40 diesels constitute 70% of VIA's motive power fleet.
Longevity is one of the hallmarks of the F-40. Although Amtrak has retired and replaced its fleet, most of these locomotives have gone on to second careers on a wide variety of railways, ranging from northern Canada to Panama. In addition to the nationwide service VIA's units continue to provide, the F-40 is now found powering everything from the commuter trains of Montreal's Agence Métropolitaine de Transport to Ontario's Agawa Canyon tour train to the remote passenger services of Labrador's Tshiuetin Rail Transportation. A few have even been modified for freight service.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
VIA's fleet of 54 EMD F-40 diesel-electric locomotives is being completely rebuilt and technologically updated under a five-year contract valued at over $100 million with CAD Railway Industries Ltd. (CAD) of Lachine, Quebec. This project is a key component of the Government of Canada capital investment plan, announced in 2007, to improve the sustainability and reliability of Canada's passenger rail system.
The VIA F-40 program will completely renew these locomotives literally from the wheels up, preparing them for another 15 to 20 years of even better performance at less than half the cost of buying new equipment. Only two passenger-specific diesel locomotives are currently available in North America and, under recent orders with commuter rail agencies, these units have cost up to $5.5 million each.
Under this rebuilding program, CAD will strip the locomotives down to the shells and fully renew the steel car bodies. The components of each system - such as the diesel engine, electric traction motors, trucks, couplers and brake gear - will be thoroughly inspected, tested and rebuilt. New systems will be installed to meet today's environmental and safety standards. VIA expects to see a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of up to 12% once the work has been completed, which is in addition to a company-wide GHG reduction of 16% since 1990.
As well, the better-than-new F-40 fleet will produce fuel savings of five million litres per year and reduce maintenance costs by 8% annually. The increased use of advanced microprocessors will contribute significantly to the entire slate of economic, environmental, safety and crew comfort improvements to be gained from the program.
A major improvement to the F-40s is the addition of a separate diesel engine specifically for the generation of the head-end power (HEP) required to light and heat or air condition the trains they pull. Previously, this power was generated by the main diesel engine. This required that it continue running at high speed even when the trains were stationary.
Now, the main engine will be brought down to a low idling speed when stopped at stations, while the required 480-volt AC current is produced and fed from the separate HEP "genset" to each car of the train. This will not only reduce fuel consumption and emissions, but also engine noise.
The separate HEP gen-set will also enable the rebuilt F-40s to deliver all 3,000 hp from the main diesel engine for traction purposes. As a result, VIA will be able to reduce the number of units used on its longest and heaviest trains, such as the Montreal-Halifax Ocean and the Toronto-Vancouver Canadian. The F-40s released from these services will then be assigned to the additional trains VIA will be adding on its Quebec-Windsor Corridor routes.
This dispenses with the need to purchase additional locomotives for these new frequencies.
A layover heating system is being added to each F-40 and this will enable both diesel engines on each unit to be shut down when sitting for long periods in terminals and yards, providing major fuel, emissions and noise reductions.
Another major environmental benefit from rebuilding the F-40 fleet is that approximately 120 tonnes of steel from the basic structure and key components of each unit will not go for scrap, but will be fully recycled for another 15 to 20 years of productive service.
In addition to locomotive 6402, eight more locomotives will be received from CAD this year and then 15 per year. The program will be completed in December 2012. The fully renewed and improved F-40s will be recognizable by their new green, silver and gold paint scheme, and the timely slogan on their flanks: "A Green Choice."
In combination with the 21 General Electric Genesis locomotives (designated P-42) acquired in 2001, the rebuilt F-40s will give VIA one of the most reliable and fuel-efficient motive power fleets of any passenger rail operator in North America.
ABOUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The F-40 project is part of an unprecedented investment in passenger rail modernization and expansion by the Government of Canada that is stimulating job creation, skills development and private sector activity across the country. The $100 million contract is creating 90 new jobs and 450 person years of employment at CAD, as well generating spin-off economic benefits for its Canadian suppliers.
As well, CAD has undertaken an infrastructure expansion program as a result of being awarded the F-40 remanufacturing contract. This expansion will position CAD as the largest remanufacturer of locomotives in Canada and as a major competitor in locomotive remanufacturing throughout North America.
ABOUT VIA RAIL CANADA
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle-free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. In 2008, VIA safely transported 4.6 million passengers - the most since 1989 - and set an all-time record of $299 million in revenue.
ABOUT CAD RAILWAY INDUSTRIES LTD
Based in Lachine (Montreal), Quebec, CAD Railway Industries Ltd. is an international remanufacturer of locomotives, rail cars, power generation units and components. CAD Railway is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Railway Industries Ltd., an integrated rail product and service provider for the locomotive, railcar and track & signal railway markets in North America. Global Railway Industries shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "GBI".
VIA RAIL CANADA F-40 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: F40PH-2
Builder: General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Prime mover: 16-645E3C
Cylinders: V16
Power output: 3,000 hp (2.2 MW)
Head end power: 500 kW
Continuous tractive effort: 19,958 kg (44,000 lb)
Wheel arrangement: B + B (four axles)
Track gauge: 1,435 mm (4 feet 8½ inches)
Weight: 117,936 kg (260,000 lb)
Top speed: 153 km/h (95 mph)
Built: London, Ontario, November 1986-July 1989
Rebuilt: Lachine, Quebec, December 2007-December 2012
Total active fleet: 54
Fleet numbers: 6400-6421, 6424-6429, 6431-6446, 6448-6449, 6452-6458
IMPROVEMENTS
| Description | Benefit |
|
- Cleaner burning engine - Automatic engine stop/start system - Fuel heating - HEP diesel generator - Layover heating |
Fuel saving |
|
- Odometer - De-misting air to windshield - Electronic fuel monitoring - Low speed system (max. 10 miles/hour) |
Improved operation |
|
- All new copper air piping - All new receptacles and switches - All new relays (70% less due to microprocessor) - All new wiring |
Improved reliability |
|
- Emergency horn - Higher intensity headlight (Xenon) added - Improved event recorder with crash hardened memory |
Improved safety and security |
| - Removal of corrosion and anti corrosion | Locomotive life protection applied |
|
- Cooling fan sequencing - Independent dynamic braking - Microprocessor controls - LED indicator lights - Electronic braking system |
Lower maintenance |
| - Electronic engine governor | Operation efficiency |
|
- Automatic horn sequencing - Cab air-conditioning - Ergonomic improvements in cab - Improved cab heating and ventilation - Improved third (jump) seat added - Microwave oven added - Anti-glare shield on windshield added |
Operator comfort and convenience |
| - New paint scheme | VIA image |
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VIA's LRC Fleet
ABOUT THE TRAINS:
VIA's Light, Rapid and Comfortable (LRC) trains represent one of the most innovative chapters in the history of North American rail travel - completely Canadian in concept, design and construction.
The LRC was conceived in 1968 by a consortium of Dofasco, Alcan and Montreal Locomotive Works (later Bombardier). One inspiration was a Canadian Transport Commission study on the future of passenger transportation that found "the most profitable strategy to adopt involves maximizing the potential of existing railway facilities through the introduction of new vehicle technology."
The LRC would be an aerodynamically streamlined and lightweight train using service-proven subsystems and operating techniques. It would not require all-new facilities, rail lines or other expensive infrastructure upgrades, but would be capable of 200 km/hour operation on existing lines shared with freight trains.
The LRC development project - supported by the Government of Canada - produced a prototype diesel locomotive and car in 1972 that were tested extensively under a wide range of operational and climatic conditions. They met all expectations, setting a Canadian speed record of 208 km/hour on a test run on March 12, 1976. The sturdy monocoque, aluminum alloy cars were particularly noteworthy, weighing one-third less than conventional rolling stock then in use.
VIA and the Government of Canada placed two LRC orders in 1978 and 1981 for a total of 31 locomotives and 100 cars for fast, frequent and improved service throughout the Quebec-Windsor Corridor. The LRC was the first new equipment ordered by VIA following its creation as a Crown Corporation on January 12, 1977.
With extensive refinement by VIA's engineering staff, the LRC economy class cars and business class cars have become the mainstays of VIA's corridor services since their introduction in 1981. The locomotives were not as successful and have been retired. LRC trains are now hauled at up to 152 km/hour by VIA's 21 high-performance General Electric Genesis locomotives or 54 General Motors F40 diesels. The latter are now undergoing a $100 million overhaul to increase their environmental and economic efficiency, and extend their operating lives.
A major achievement of the LRC design was the interior styling, undertaken through an international competition sponsored by Transport Canada. The LRC broke with railway tradition by providing passengers with at-seat food and beverage service provided from all-electric galleys and carts. The LRC also featured panoramic tinted windows, a public address system, electrical heating and air conditioning systems, overhead reading lights, specially-designed reclining seats and a soothing beige-and-brown scheme for carpeting, upholstery and wall panels.
Today, VIA operates 72 LRC Economy class cars, which seat 68 passengers, and 26 Business class cars, with seating for 56, on trains throughout its Quebec-Windsor Corridor.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The contract awarded to Industrial Rail Services, Inc. (IRSI) of Moncton, New Brunswick, totals nearly $100 million and will completely overhaul VIA's 98 LRC cars to provide even more comfortable and efficient service levels than when first delivered. The project builds on the knowledge gained and the improvements implemented through the LRC's millions of kilometers of service and will upgrade them with technological advances made since their construction more than two decades ago.
The LRC overhaul began as a prototype project in 2005-2007 in which VIA staff disassembled business class car 3451, assessed the integrity of the carshell and each sub-system, and then installed all-new or fully refurbished components for service testing. This intense investigation proved that overhauling the LRC cars for greater efficiency and comfort would provide benefits on a par with buying new equipment.
Overhauling the LRCs will cost about $1 million per car and the first will be delivered within one year. There is currently no suitable North American intercity passenger car design that VIA could purchase "off the shelf" from any manufacturer. Developing such a car would take up to four years, require extensive testing and debugging, and cost about $4-5 million per car.
Designed for a 20-year operating life, the LRCs have proved more durable than even their creators suspected. The earliest cars are now approaching 30 years and have reliably provided millions of kilometres of service. The sturdy carshells and many other sub-systems are structurally sound and this overhaul will prepare them for up to 20 additional years of safe and productive service.
The LRCs will be moved to the IRSI Moncton facility for complete disassembly and stripping of all reusable and recyclable components. Rather than being wastefully scrapped, the trucks, wheelsets, couplers, drawbars and intercar diaphragms will be completely reconditioned. Any corrosion will be repaired from the aluminum alloy carshells and a protective anti-corrosion treatment applied.
A key objective of the LRC overhaul project will be an increase of at least 20 per cent in energy efficiency through reduced electrical requirements. This will be done with smaller and more energyefficient wiring, LED lighting, nickel cadmium batteries, advanced microprocessor controls, the elimination of obsolete and inefficient relays and switches, high-efficiency linear motors for automatic door operation and the installation of a state-of-the-art "smart" heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system. An environmentally-friendly, water-based cleaning system will flush the air conditioning condensers in the maintenance facilities during servicing to keep them operating at peak efficiency.
The new HVAC system divides the cars into four separately-controlled zones. Sensors and microprocessors will automatically reduce the overall interior temperature in the winter or increase it in the summer if the cars have not moved, or there has been no interior movement for a certain number of minutes, or when they are receiving external power in stations or yards.
Removal of the banking system will reduce maintenance costs without affecting top speed or passenger comfort, as well as cut the LRC's weight by two tonnes per car and reduce fuel consumption. As well, the concurrent overhaul of VIA's fleet of 54 F40 diesel-electric locomotives will see many obsolete components replaced with advanced, more efficient equivalents. The overhauled F40s and LRCs will improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and decrease VIA's already low environmental footprint.
Improved comfort and accessibility are at the forefront of VIA's LRC overhaul project. The seats will be completely reconditioned and new upholstery applied. Business class seats will now be leather. Brighter interior colours, new windows and individual curtains will give the LRCs a totally new look. Washroom facilities will be fully modernized. The food service galleys will be refurbished with better lighting and high-efficiency appliances capable of remote monitoring of the refrigerators to assure that food temperatures are properly maintained.
Twenty-six of the LRC economy class cars will be provided with larger, fully-accessible washrooms. Ten percent of the seats in each of these accessible cars - one for each LRC train consist - will have flip-up armrests to provide easier access and a generous amount of space for passengers with special needs travelling with a service animal or care provider. In addition, tactile markers will indicate seat numbers for the visually-impaired.
The final touch in the overhaul of VIA's LRC fleet will be the application of a new green, silver and gold exterior paint scheme. Service testing will follow. The first better-than-new LRC cars will arrive in May 2010. Cars will be delivered at the rate of two per month until all 98 cars are in service by December 2013 at the latest.
ABOUT THE PROJECT'S BENEFITS:
The LRC overhaul project will create 100 jobs at the IRSI in Moncton and 552,000 person hours of employment. As well, this and the concurrent work to increase the accessibility of VIA's Renaissance fleet will create another 50 jobs at IRSI's associated companies and suppliers throughout Canada.
ABOUT INDUSTRIAL RAIL SERVICES, INC:
Industrial Rail Services, Inc. (IRSI) of Moncton, New Brunswick, is a full-service locomotive and passenger rail car facility specializing in equipment repairs, remanufacturing, modifications and refurbishment. Since its founding in 1999, IRSI has become North America's premier rebuilder of rail passenger equipment, strengthening Moncton's reputation as a global rail centre of excellence for more than a century.
IRSI's modern and well-equipped facility is located in the CN Gordon Yard on the eastern transcontinental main line. Its 125,000-square-foot facility is equipped with 18 exhausted service bays, overhead cranes, drop tables, tool cribs, designated stores and document control areas, a metal fabrication shop, training facilities, a wash bay and a new 100-foot, state-of-the-art paint shop.
The strength of IRSI is its highly skilled and dedicated workforce, whose craftsmanship is recognized throughout the rail industry and has earned the company certification by the Association of American Railroads.
ABOUT VIA RAIL CANADA:
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains that link 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network.
The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle-free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. In 2008, VIA safely transported 4.6 million passengers - the most since 1989 - and set an all-time record of $299 million in revenue.
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VIA's Renaissance Fleet
ABOUT THE TRAINS:
VIA's 106 Renaissance cars are not only the newest intercity passenger equipment on North American rails, they are the most unique. Renaissance is a blend of the best of Continental and Canadian rail technology that provides exceptional levels of comfort, safety and operating efficiency.
The Renaissance cars have a remarkable pedigree. They were originally commissioned by European Nightstock Services, a consortium of railways from Britain, France, Germany and Belgium, for operation on trains through the Channel Tunnel to destinations in Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The cars were built by Alstom's venerable Metro-Cammell Washwood Heath plant, near Birmingham, England. The firm spent four years completing the engineering designs to meet the stringent operating and safety requirements of the five countries in the consortium.
But changing market conditions conspired against the overnight Chunnel rail services. Work on the cars was halted in 1998 and it was mothballed in England in various states of completion.
After an intense evaluation by VIA staff, three cars were brought to Canada for modification and testing in June 2000. The equipment had previously been tested extensively overseas to ensure its safety and reliability in Europe and Morocco. To ensure their suitability for use in Canadian climatic conditions, the Nightstock was put through stringent "cold room" tests at European research facilities comparable to Ottawa's National Research Council labs for operation at temperatures as low as -40° C.
On December 15, 2000, VIA announced the purchase of all 139 complete and incomplete Nightstock cars, to be rebuilt as the Renaissance fleet and deployed on the Quebec- Windsor Corridor daytime trains and the overnight Montreal-Halifax Ocean. This was the first major purchase of passenger cars by VIA since 1981, expanding the total passenger fleet by one-third to increase VIA's ridership, revenues and cost-effectiveness.
This rolling stock was purchased and completed for only $160 million, including the upgrading to Canadian standards and the completion of some of the unfinished cars in Canada. This was an exceptional bargain as the replacement value of the fleet was pegged at $400-500 million.
The 64 completed cars and 75 incomplete Renaissance carshells and components were shipped from England to Bombardier Transportation's Thunder Bay, Ontario, plant for modification and completion to VIA's own designs. All safety-related systems were converted to North American standards. Major changes were made in the layout of some cars to make them more suitable for VIA's operating conditions and market demands. The result was the 106-car Renaissance fleet consisting of:
· 27 sleeping cars with 10 two-berth cabins, all with en-suite full retention toilets. Six of the cabins have showers and all are equipped with a clothes valet, seating for three, luggage storage, an intercom system and a smoke/fire detector. The doors can be locked by passengers for security when they are not in the room.
· 33 economy class cars seating 50 passengers in a 2+1 arrangement with under-seat baggage storage. The comfortable seats are equipped with footrests and large seat-back trays.
· 14 business class cars which, like the economy class cars, provide 2+1 seating for 50 passengers, but include food and beverage preparation and storage galleys.
· 17 service cars with a lounge area, a large galley for food and beverage preparation and storage, a baggage area and a train service manager's office.
· 3 dining cars with 32 seats arranged in tables of four on one side and 16 seats at tables for two on the other, plus a full-service kitchen, a takeout counter and some baggage space.
· 9 baggage cars with skid-resistant floors that prevent baggage from shifting during transport. These cars were fashioned out of available shells.
· 3 baggage-transition cars, designed to let passengers aboard the Ocean access sleeping and lounge facilities in the scenic dome-equipped Park car at the rear of the train. The transition cars have a standard coupler at one end to mate with a Park car behind and a second specialized coupler to connect safely with Renaissance cars ahead.
All Renaissance cars are equipped with modern public address and passenger information systems and a crew intercom. They have modern, clean appointments and exteriors similar to VIA's Canadian-built Light, Rapid and Comfortable (LRC) cars, which are undergoing a $100 million overhaul by Industrial Rail Services, Inc. (IRSI), in Moncton, New Brunswick. A further 33 Renaissance car shells and components remain in storage to protect for passenger traffic growth in the future.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The current $5.8 million accessibility upgrading contract with IRSI covers 21 Renaissance cars of three types. The designs are the result of extensive consultations between VIA and representatives of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD).
VIA is committed to maintaining the highest possible standards to ensure the comfort and safety of customers with restricted mobility, as well as other disabilities. VIA takes pride in its responsiveness to passengers with special needs and this latest project is a clear demonstration of that commitment. This project greatly expands that previous level accessibility on the Renaissance equipment. Mock-ups were prepared and scrutinized by VIA, the CTA and the CCD.
In nine Renaissance economy class cars - one for each daytime train used in Quebec- Windsor Corridor service - seven seats will be removed from one end for the construction of an enlarged washroom that will be spacious enough for easy use by a traveller with special requirements and accompanied by a service animal or care provider. As well, seats in these new accessible cars will be equipped with flip-up armrests to provide easier access and additional room.
Nine Renaissance baggage cars will have their mid-car doors widened for more efficient baggage handling.
Three Renaissance sleeping cars assigned to each of the trains on the overnight Montreal- Halifax Ocean will be modified and improved for operation adjacent to each of the service cars. Two cabins at one end of these sleepers will be combined and re-oriented to provide straight-in access - eliminating the negotiation of a 90-degree turn - from the extra-wide vestibules of the service cars. These new accessible cabins will also contain spacious, fully-accessible washroom facilities.
The assistance VIA makes available to those with special needs on existing trains - such as special wheelchairs designed for use onboard trains and free travel for care providers accompanying passengers in certain circumstances - will be available on trains equipped with the improved Renaissance accessible economy class cars, baggage cars and sleepers.
The first of these 21 accessible Renaissance cars will be delivered by IRSI in December 2009 and the project will be completed by December 2011.
ABOUT THE PROJECT'S BENEFITS:
The Renaissance accessibility upgrading project will create 35 jobs at IRSI in Moncton and 61,000 person hours of employment. As well, this and the concurrent overhaul of VIA's LRC fleet will create another 50 jobs at IRSI's associated companies and suppliers throughout Canada.
ABOUT INDUSTRIAL RAIL SERVICES, INC:
Industrial Rail Services, Inc. (IRSI) of Moncton, New Brunswick, is a full-service locomotive and passenger rail car facility specializing in equipment repairs, remanufacturing, modifications and refurbishment. Since its founding in 1999, IRSI has become North America's premier rebuilder of rail passenger equipment, strengthening Moncton's reputation as a global rail centre of excellence for more than a century.
IRSI's modern and well-equipped facility is located in the CN Gordon Yard on the eastern transcontinental main line. Its 125,000-square-foot facility is equipped with 18 exhausted service bays, overhead cranes, drop tables, tool cribs, designated stores and document control areas, a metal fabrication shop, training facilities, a wash bay and a new 100-foot, state-of-the-art paint shop.
The strength of IRSI is its highly skilled and dedicated workforce, whose craftsmanship is recognized throughout the rail industry and has earned the company certification by the Association of American Railroads.
ABOUT VIA RAIL CANADA:
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide
efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation services,
both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Every
week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains that link 450
communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network.
The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle-free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. In 2008, VIA safely transported 4.6 million passengers - the most since 1989 - and set an all-time record of $299 million in revenue.
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