VIA's Rolling Stock Info

As a member of the Safety, Health & Environment dept. at VIA Rail. I am offering confirmed information about VIA and it's new cars...

The new cars were originally commissioned by European Nightstock Services, a consortium of railways from France, Germany, Britain, Denmark and Belgium, for operation on overnight trips through the U.K.-Europe Channel Tunnel with destinations in the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Changing circumstances such as the cancellation of the London bypass, the franchising of British rail and airline deregulation, which changed the economics of short-haul flights in Europe, conspired against the consortium and work was halted.

The cars were built in Britain by ALSTOM, a global specialist in energy and transportation infrastructure. ALSTOM spent four years completing the engineering designs necessary to meet stringent operating and safety requirements of the five different countries in the consortium. When production was suspended in 1998, the shells for 139 cars had been built, and 64 cars were completed. The remaining 75 cars are in various stages of completion, and will be assembled after they arrive in Canada.
The equipment built in the mid 90’s, consists of 72 sleepers, 47 coaches and 20 service cars. It is engineereed to operate at 200kph although in Canada, the maximum track speed is 160 kph. The cars have full waste retention and include special features to maximize accessibility for disabled passengers. In addition to the 400,000 km of testing that was done in Europe,VIA has carried out extensive testing on three cars over the last three months to ensure they met Transport Canada safety standards and are compatible with Canadian operating conditions.
Delivery of the cars, half of which are already built, will start immediately and should be completed by mid-2001. The first of the new cars is expected to go into revenue service next fall. The new equipment will be used to add frequencies in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor and on the Eastern Transcontinental services. It will also free up equipment currently used on the overnight trains in the East and the Corridor to respond to the growing demand for space on the Western Transcontinental services.

· Sleeper cars have ten 2-berth bedrooms, all with en-suite full retention toilets. Six of the bedrooms have showers. All bedrooms are equipped with a clothes valet, coffee maker, seating for three people, storage for luggage, an intercom system, room service call phones, and a smoke/fire detector. The doors can be locked by passengers for security when they are not in the room.

· Coach cars seat 50 passengers, 2-1 seating with under-seat baggage storage and overhead baggage racks. Seating is comfortable, with footrests and large seat-back trays.

· Service cars include a lounge area, a galley for food and drink storage, a baggage area, and an office where staff can monitor and control the train’s key operating systems. In addition, each service car includes a special compartment designed for passengers with disabilities. An office intended for use by European customs officers will be removed to make more room for other purposes.

All cars are equipped with modern public address and passenger information systems and a crew intercom.

Because the ALSTOM cars were designed to meet the safety requirements of five different countries, as well as requirements for operation through the Channel Tunnel between England and France, they incorporate many advanced safety features. These include:

• all steel construction with energy absorption design;
• a high performance braking system, with three disc brakes per axle;
• efficient fire detection and containment systems;
• emergency breakout features on all windows;
• modern public address and passenger information systems;
• passenger-operated, powered exit doors and doors between cars.

Of particular interest is the energy absorption technology, designed to meet stringent European UIC safety standards. The traditional approach to protecting passengers in the event of an accident is to build each car as a steel “cage” which will remain intact under impact. The new equipment incorporates a different approach, similar to that used in the design of modern automobiles. The structure of each car is designed to absorb the energy of a collision through special “crumple zones”. This technology has proven extremely effective, since it focuses on protecting the passenger from impact.

The new equipment, when modified, will be compliant with existing government (Transport Canada) safety requirements.

Accessibility

VIA Rail prides itself on its responsiveness to passengers with special needs. VIA is committed to maintaining the highest possible standards to ensure the comfort and safety of customers with restricted mobility as well as other disabilities.

The new passenger trains have special compartments designed to accommodate travellers with special needs. In addition, the assistance VIA makes available to those with special needs on existing trains – such as special wheel chairs designed for use onboard trains, and free travel for care providers accompanying passengers in certain circumstances – will be available on the new equipment.

VIA has consulted with a number of special needs groups to identify ways to improve the accessibility of the new equipment. VIA has stated that the new equipment will meet its commitment to provide accessible rail transportation.

Testing, modifications and assembly

The new equipment has already been tested extensively in Europe by the manufacturer, and by a rail company in Morocco. VIA Rail has been testing three cars here in Canada since June. Testing will continue over the next few months to identify modifications necessary to adapt the equipment for operation in Canada.

Modifications will include:

• any technical changes needed to ensure compatibility with existing traffic signalling technology;
• modifications to boarding steps for use at stations with lower platforms;
• modifying the coupling systems between cars and locomotives;
• if necessary, the addition of heating capacity, frost protection and snow seals; and
• the elimination of office space for customs officials in the service cars, which is not required; and
• interior design changes, if any, that would enhance the travel experience for our customers.

Half of the 139 cars will arrive in Canada fully assembled, while the remaining will arrive in parts. The first shipment will arrive in January 2001. All equipment should be received with 4-5 months.

VIA plans to start using the new equipment in revenue service during the fall of 2001.

I hope this information answers any questions you may have about these cars and if you have any other questions, feel free to contact me for further inquiry.

Bannon



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Bannon C Woods Jr
VIA Rail Canada
Safety, Health & Environment

 

Your post was excellent...one of the best detailed ones I have read anywhere in the train forums I am involved with...

 

Just to let you know guys, VIA has done well this year with Preliminary results for the year 2000 showing an increase in ridership of 5.3 per cent and an increase in revenue of 9 per cent over 1999. We all worked hard this year, thats for sure.



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Bannon C Woods Jr
VIA Rail Canada
Safety, Health & Environment