VIA Rail taps Rail GD to renovate dining cars

VIA Rail Canada Inc. has awarded a CA$16.4 million contract to Rail GD Inc. to refurbish four 1950s-era dining cars for use on long-haul Canadian line trains.

Slated for completion in second-quarter 2020, the work will include installation of a new kitchen and devices to make the cars Wi-Fi ready.

Rail GD also will upgrade mechanical and replace electronic components, VIA Rail officials said in a press release. The company will carry out the work at its New Richmond, Quebec, facilities.

The renovations are part of VIA Rail's modernization plan for passenger-rail service. The plan includes renovating rolling stock and acquiring a new fleet for the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.

"Thanks to the funds granted by the government of Canada in both the 2017 and 2018 budgets, our modernization plan aimed at engaging Canadians in a more sustainable future continues to materialize," said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, VIA Rail's president and chief executive officer.