VIA Rail Canada has begun constructing a new assembly and maintenance facility in Montréal, Québec, to support the introduction of its new pan-Canadian fleet.
The 100,000-square-foot facility is being built by Canadian construction company Pomerleau through a 357 million CAD investment from the Government of Canada. Construction began with a ceremony on 8 October 2026, attended by approximately 60 employees from VIA Rail, Pomerleau and local suppliers.
The facility will initially support the final assembly in Canada of up to 36 of the 45 battery-diesel hybrid locomotives ordered from Stadler, as well as testing before they enter service.
Following the locomotive assembly phase, the facility will be used for the long-term maintenance of VIA Rail’s new pan-Canadian fleet. This includes the Stadler locomotives and 313 passenger cars ordered from Alstom. The new building will form part of VIA Rail’s existing Montréal Maintenance Centre, making use of its infrastructure and technical expertise.
Site excavation is underway and is expected to continue until January 2027, with foundation work scheduled to begin in mid-January. Up to 200 workers are expected to be on site at the peak of construction. The facility is scheduled to become operational in summer 2029, ahead of the assembly of the first locomotives in Canada.
VIA Rail president and chief executive officer Mathieu Paquette said: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. 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.
The facility forms part of VIA Rail’s wider pan-Canadian fleet renewal programme, which, together with the new construction project, represents a 6.7 billion CAD investment by the Government of Canada.
The programme is expected to generate 6,050 full-time equivalent jobs in Canada and deliver more than 2 billion CAD in economic benefits.
The new facility will provide the infrastructure required to assemble and maintain the incoming fleet in Canada, supporting VIA Rail’s transition to its new locomotives and passenger cars.
