A preliminary rendering of VIA Rail Canada’s new assembly and maintenance facility in Montreal. Work on the building has begun. VIA Rail Canada
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada has begun construction of a new maintenance facility in Montreal that also will be the location of final assembly for the majority of its new Stadler locomotives.
Work on the new Ca$357 million structure began Oct. 8. The 100,000-square-foot facility will be built by Canadian construction company Pomerleau and will be integrated into the existing Montreal Maintenance Center. Once construction of the Stadler locomotives is complete, the facility will be used to maintain the locomotives and the 313 new passenger cars to be built by Alstom.
“The start of construction of this new assembly and maintenance facility marks an important milestone in the renewal of VIA Rail’s pan-Canadian fleet,” VIA CEO Mathieu Paquette said in a press release. “This new facility will enable us to provide our passengers with reliable, modern and safe service, while also strengthening Canada’s rail expertise and capacity for decades to come.”
Pomerleau CEO Philippe Adam said the new facility “represents VIA Rail’s largest construction project in Montreal in nearly 40 years. Beyond the delivery of this landmark project, we are bringing together the expertise of our teams and partners to create a lasting piece of infrastructure that will benefit future generations.”
The first part of the 45-unit Stadler locomotive order, including final assembly of at least the first nine units, will take place at Stadler’s factory in Valencia, Spain. Up to 36 locomotives in the Ca$1.6 billion order will be completed in Montreal [see “VIA Rail Canada turns to Stadler …,” Trains.com, July 29, 2026].
The site excavation work now underway will continue through January 2027, and will be followed by foundation work beginning later that month. Up to 200 workers will be involved in construction, which is expected to be completed by summer 2029.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
Share this article
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn