VIA Rail has completed a C$310-million modernization of its Toronto Maintenance Centre, the passenger railway announced Monday, November 2. The federally funded project took four years and finished on budget, the company said.

The upgraded facility will maintain the new Corridor fleet of 32 bidirectional trainsets while continuing to service existing equipment. Expanded maintenance bays, inspection platforms and tracks accommodate trainsets of up to 10 cars.

Workers can reach trains from pits beneath the tracks and platforms at car and roof height. The project also added heavy-maintenance equipment and upgraded yard tracks.

A new monitoring system provides real-time diagnostics and early fault detection. VIA says the technology is intended to reduce unexpected downtime and keep more trains available for service.

The company said construction supported up to 475 jobs and more than 80 per cent of project content was Canadian.

The Toronto completion follows the October 8 launch of construction on a separate C$357-million assembly and maintenance facility in Montréal. That building is expected to open in summer 2029, initially for final assembly and testing of new battery-diesel hybrid locomotives. It will later maintain the new pan-Canadian fleet.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

Sources