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Systra News
MAJOR MILESTONE FOR VIA RAIL & SYSTRA CANADA
This latest development in VIA’s history marks a major milestone for SYSTRA Canada which has provided consulting services, together with CH2M Jacobs, for all phases of the company’s Fleet Replacement Program since 2017.
The new trains are from Seimens with Charger Diesel motors and Venture carriages designed for the North American market. Photo: Reece Martin
VIA Rail Canada (VIA), a Canadian Crown corporation mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service, put its brand-new fleet in service in the Quebec City – Windsor corridor last September, providing passengers with a more comfortable, sustainable, and accessible train service, while improving the environmental footprint through advanced energy-efficient technology.
SYSTRA Canada involved from start to finish
Having provided assistance in completing the existing preliminary RFP documentation, our experts then supported VIA during the tendering phase. Finally, the Contract Execution Phase consisted in providing project management, administration, and engineering services, risk assessment support, design reviews, pre-service testing and commissioning, and continued support through acceptance and post-delivery.
About the corridor
The Quebec-Windsor corridor is the busiest line in Canada, with 36 daily trips and more than 4 million annual passengers. It is also the busiest service on the VIA Rail network, accounting for 96% of its traffic in 2019. The 1,169 km non-electric line is part of the High-Frequency Train programme, which aims to provide a faster, more frequent, more accessible and more sustainable rail service in the country’s most densely populated region.
Key Features: VIA's new fleet
VIA Rail Canada (VIA), a Canadian Crown corporation mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service, put its brand-new fleet in service in the Quebec City – Windsor corridor last September, providing passengers with a more comfortable, sustainable, and accessible train service, while improving the environmental footprint through advanced energy-efficient technology.
SYSTRA Canada involved from start to finish
Having provided assistance in completing the existing preliminary RFP documentation, our experts then supported VIA during the tendering phase. Finally, the Contract Execution Phase consisted in providing project management, administration, and engineering services, risk assessment support, design reviews, pre-service testing and commissioning, and continued support through acceptance and post-delivery.
About the corridor
The Quebec-Windsor corridor is the busiest line in Canada, with 36 daily trips and more than 4 million annual passengers. It is also the busiest service on the VIA Rail network, accounting for 96% of its traffic in 2019. The 1,169 km non-electric line is part of the High-Frequency Train programme, which aims to provide a faster, more frequent, more accessible and more sustainable rail service in the country’s most densely populated region.
Key Features: VIA's new fleet
- Rolling stock: Siemens Venture trainsets;
- Estimated life span: 30 years;
- Maximum speed: 201 km/h;
- Braking distance at 160 km/h: 1,430 m (16 football fields);
- Estimated distance to be covered annually: 320,000 km (8 times around the world);
- Autonomy in kilometres: 2,113 km, (a little more than the distance between Toronto and Miami).
