VIA RAIL CELEBRATES THE COMPLETION OF WORK AT WINNIPEG'S UNION STATION

Winnipeg, October 20, 2014 – Today, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) announced the completion of Winnipeg's Union Station upgrades. During an inauguration ceremony for the newly renovated station, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and CEO of VIA Rail, celebrated this event alongside members of Manitoba's political community and transportation industry stakeholders. The event provided an opportunity for all to discover the new look and upgrades done in the heritage building, which was awarded BOMA BESt environmental certification in 2011.

This project was made possible thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada. The over $6 million renovation project to VIA Rail’s Winnipeg Union Station took approximately 14 months and created over 70 jobs. The restoration was completed according to schedule and within budget, has given the hundred-year-old station a renewed and modern feel. Significant upgrades were made to client facilities including the ticket counter, washrooms and waiting areas. Station accessibility was improved with the installation of a new elevator between the waiting room and the passenger boarding platform, among other accessible amenities. The central rotunda, one of the station's most distinctive features, was cleaned, repaired and repainted. The restoration of the rotunda emphasizes the station's heritage status, as its new look resembles that of the original rotunda. The funding for this project tops the $3.5 million already invested in many renovation projects carried out since 2007, including a full roof replacement and repairs to heating and cooling systems. The Winnipeg Union Station is the largest station owned by VIA Rail.

"Thanks to this major work, we can now offer an improved work environment to our employees, a new experience to our passengers and a promising future to Winnipeg Station. We are very pleased with the station's new look and upgrades," said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano.

Departure waiting area

Rotunda

East Entrance

Companies mandated for this work included Bridgman Collaborative Architecture, construction manager Bockstael Construction, ABCO Supply & Service, Security Decorating, Westwood Mechanical Inc. and several other contractors.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking 450 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years, and was the recipient of the 2012 Agent's Choice Award voted by Canadian travel agents and presented by Baxter Travel Media. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. Read more about our transformation at www.viarail.ca/transformingVIA.

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Pictures of the station are available at http://extranet.viarail.ca/.