Ontario Construction News staff writer
VIA Rail and Pomerleau have begun construction of a 100,000-sq. ft. assembly and maintenance facility in Montréal to support the rollout and long-term maintenance of VIA Rail’s new pan-Canadian fleet.
The $357-million project is funded by the Government of Canada and will be built by Pomerleau. The facility will enable the final assembly in Canada of up to 36 of the 45 battery-diesel hybrid locomotives VIA Rail ordered from Stadler, along with testing before they enter service.
Once locomotive assembly is complete, the facility will be used for long-term maintenance of VIA Rail’s new fleet, including the locomotives and 313 passenger cars ordered from Alstom.
The new building will be integrated into VIA Rail’s Montréal Maintenance Centre, using existing infrastructure and the expertise of the railway’s technical teams.
“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,” said Mathieu Paquette, VIA Rail’s president and CEO.
“This new facility represents VIA Rail’s largest construction project in Montréal 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,” added Philippe Adam, president and CEO, Pomerleau.
Site excavation is underway and is scheduled to continue through January 2027, with foundation work expected to begin in mid-January. Up to 200 workers are expected on site at the peak of construction.
The facility is scheduled to become operational in summer 2029, in time for the assembly of the first locomotives in Canada.
The program is expected to generate 6,050 full-time equivalent jobs in Canada and more than $2 billion in economic benefits.
