VIA Rail has launched the process to procure 32 new bi-directional trains for the Quebec-Windsor route in Canada.
The operator is looking for interested parties to submit their qualifications for consideration so it can then create a shortlist of suppliers to participate in a request for proposal process.
VIA Rail wants the new trains to have enhanced accessibility features, including accessible washrooms and multiple accommodations for wheelchairs and other mobility aids and devices on the trains.
It also wants the trains to be more fuel-efficient than its current fleet, and have the option to operate on electrified rail infrastructure as it becomes available.
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Via Rail CEO Yves Desjardins-Siciliano said: “With a new fleet, VIA Rail will be able to offer a modern travel experience to its customers, at a greatly reduced environmental impact.
“This important milestone of our transformation plan will convince more Canadians that VIA Rail is truly the smarter way to travel in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.”
Funding for the fleet replacement programme has come from the federal government’s 2018 Budget.
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