Government of Canada and VIA Rail expand renewal....

Announced today, the government of Canada is investing $20 million in expanding VIA Rail's fleet renewal, to include their 21 GE P42 locomotives, and a large part of the HEP-1 fleet. Here's the story:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/arch ... c7161.html

More good news for VIA Rail fans and riders!

It is interesting to note that the P42 overhaul announcement comes very shortly after the major fire on 902 up near Ottawa....

Thats very interesting news, Im just wondering when some funding will come there way to "fully " winterize the Renaissance cars. As there the next key to the Corridor puzzle.

buddah wrote:Thats very interesting news, Im just wondering when some funding will come there way to "fully " winterize the Renaissance cars. As there the next key to the Corridor puzzle.

Are you talking about the ones in "service" or does Via still have those other 35 shells/cars in Thunder Bay at Bombardier or did Via prematurely scrap them?
It sounds like something Via management would do not thinking ahead!!!

gaspeamtrak wrote:

buddah wrote:Thats very interesting news, Im just wondering when some funding will come there way to "fully " winterize the Renaissance cars. As there the next key to the Corridor puzzle.

Are you talking about the ones in "service" or does Via still have those other 35 shells/cars in Thunder Bay at Bombardier or did Via prematurely scrap them?
It sounds like something Via management would do not thinking ahead!!!

I think we can safely say those shells are done for good. I don't know if they have been scrapped yet or not, but I know that was the last announcement from VIA. However, as Buddah referenced, the currently in-service Renaissance cars have had most of their serious issues in the winter (things like doors freezing open/shut, various other problems), all stemming from the fact that they were built for use in a more temperate climate. To the best of my knowledge, VIA Rail has yet to make any modifications to fully address these problems, leading to lots of headaches for crews in the winter months.

From the initial link:

This project includes the renovation and upgrade of 78 HEP 1 long-haul cars of various types and of 21 P-42 diesel-electric locomotives. The HEP 1 stainless steel clad cars are primarily assigned to VIA's world-renowned Toronto-Vancouver streamliner, the Canadian, which is an important contributor to Canada's tourism industry. The P-42 locomotives haul VIA's fastest trains in the busy Quebec-Windsor Corridor.
The first of the 78 HEP 1 stainless steel cars to be overhauled will be 40 Manor sleeping cars, followed by the dining cars, Skyline dome-buffet-lounge cars and other car types within the fleet. The overhaul will include new and brighter interior carpeting, wall designs and upholstery. Mechanical work will include the renewal of the electrical, drinkable water, heating/ventilating/air conditioning and underframe systems. This overhaul of VIA's long-distance trains will proceed at the rate of seven cars per month. The first cars are scheduled for completion this fall.
The P-42 program includes work on the underframe systems, main diesel engine, alternator and generator. As well, there will be minor structural repairs and touch-ups of the car body, along with winterization programs. This will prepare the P-42s for another 1.6 million kilometers or eight years of reliable service.

Therefore, it looks like nothing is being done to the steel clad Renaissance cars at this time.

electricron wrote: Therefore, it looks like nothing is being done to the steel clad Renaissance cars at this time.

That's very true. The hope is simply that other Renaissance upgrades might come along as further funding becomes allocated to VIA Rail. Now that major projects that were long overdue (such as the F40, LRC, and HEP-1 upgrades) are finally being dealt with, other more "minor" issues might have a chance at coming to the table in the near future.

All that being said, when we will actually see the results of this work is up for debate. The F40's are finally starting to come along, but I have yet to hear any further news on the LRC coach rebuilds. I had considered that increased use of Renaissance coaches between Toronto and Montreal may have been done to relieve some LRCs from service for rebuilding, but that is only a suspicion and I have no confirmation for it.

Are we sure this isn't a "re-announcement" that Harper's administration is famous for? Or is this actual new money?

the VIA press release wrote:The Government of Canada and VIA Rail announced today a $20 million program to renew and improve two key components of its nationwide locomotive and rolling stock fleet, funded from the $407 million investment in passenger rail improvements under the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan.

There's no new money involved, but this is a new announcement of a way to spend what was already promised.

timberley wrote:

electricron wrote: Therefore, it looks like nothing is being done to the steel clad Renaissance cars at this time.

That's very true. The hope is simply that other Renaissance upgrades might come along as further funding becomes allocated to VIA Rail. Now that major projects that were long overdue (such as the F40, LRC, and HEP-1 upgrades) are finally being dealt with, other more "minor" issues might have a chance at coming to the table in the near future.........

Industrial Rail Services are currently working on upgrades of the Renaissance cars at their Moncton, NB facility. There are a number of changes being made to meet Barrier-Free requirements.

Industrial Rail is also gearing up to begin the LRC rebuild contract they were awarded in May.

http://www.viarail.ca/en/pressreleases/view/1338

Ken V wrote:

the VIA press release wrote:The Government of Canada and VIA Rail announced today a $20 million program to renew and improve two key components of its nationwide locomotive and rolling stock fleet, funded from the $407 million investment in passenger rail improvements under the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan.

There's no new money involved, but this is a new announcement of a way to spend what was already promised.

Thank you for pointing that out, as it is easy to misunderstand what is actually new investment, and what is just new allocation.

Regardless, the $407 million investment, however it is split up and spent, is a huge improvement over past years of promised money that never came, following years and years of continuous cutbacks that nearly crippled the passenger rail system in this country. Any REAL investment, regardless of whatever misleading terminology may be used to make it seem more than it actually is, is still an improvement.