OTTAWA — The federal government says it plans to spend $1.6 billion to replace 45 of Via Rail’s aging locomotives. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon is making the announcement today in Montreal, where the federal government is spending another $357 million to build a new assembly plant and maintenance facility. Ottawa says the trains will be built by Switzerland-based Stadler, with the first nine built in Spain and the remaining 36 built in Canada — after Canadian workers learn from the Spaniards how to build them. The trains will replace Via Rail’s fleet across the country, except for the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, where the federal government is planning a new high-speed rail line. MacKinnon says the deal will create 1,200 new full-time jobs and the hybrid trains will be built with Canadian-made batteries. The first trains are expected to be delivered by 2031. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2026. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
