At a Glance

In 2007 the Government of Canada announced a five-year, $516 million capital investment in passenger rail infrastructure and equipment. Another $407 million was made available for capital projects in 2009, through the Government’s economic stimulus funding program, Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

With this investment, totalling $923 million, VIA is expanding track capacity, building better traffic control systems, modernizing passenger facilities and stations, and renewing equipment. When these major capital projects are complete, we will be able to operate more trains, deliver faster trip times, offer more frequent departures, and provide a better quality of service to Canadians.

As of June 30, 2011 VIA has completed the following:

• Installation of Computerized Traffic Control systems, new sidings and crossings, and 10 miles of new fencing in our Brockville subdivision, Eastern Ontario;
• Rebuilding of 30 F-40 locomotives (out of a total of 53) to improve reliability, efficiency and environmental performance, and extend the life of the locomotives by 15-20 years;
• Rebuilding of two (2) LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) passenger cars (out of a total of 98) to improve reliability, accessibility, passenger comfort and environmental performance, and to extend the life of the cars by 15-20 years;
• Rebuilding three (3) Renaissance cars (from a total of 59 cars) with improved accessibility features for travellers with special needs;
• Major enhancements to mobile Wi-Fi services, as work on implementing a new Wi-Fi infrastructure continues.

Work on building and renovating passenger stations across the network, as well as major infrastructure projects in the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor, continued on schedule.