February 15, 2019

VIA RAIL’S FLEET REPLACEMENT PROGRAM: SIEMENS CANADA LAUNCHES PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Montréal, February 15, 2019 – As part of VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) fleet replacement program, Siemens Canada, the company that was selected by VIA Rail to manufacture the new trains to operate on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, is looking for interested suppliers. For  this process, two Siemens’ procurement offices have been set up in Montreal, Quebec and Oakville, Ontario. Siemens aims to provide Canadian content of up to 20% in supplies and services. 

Siemens is looking for suppliers in the following fields of expertise:

  1. Electrical supplies;
  2. Mechanical supplies;
  3. Services related to the technical service and spare parts supply agreement. 

Just like VIA Rail, Siemens is committed to a fair and transparent sourcing process. Selection of suppliers will be based on the total cost of ownership, quality and delivery schedule.

To become a shortlisted Siemens supplier, interested parties can fill out the Supplier Application Form.

The application deadline is March 11th, 2019 at 11:59 EST.  Interested parties who are unable to meet this deadline, can submit a request for extension to Siemens Canada via email that will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Siemens will evaluate all applicants and will invite shortlisted suppliers to attend a Siemens Canada Supplier Day event to further discuss the background of this project, schedule, timeline, and further opportunities mid and long term. Qualified applicants will also be considered for other Siemens projects where relevant.

VIA Rail’s Fleet Replacement Program

VIA Rail currently operates some of the oldest trains in North America, some dating back to the 1950s, and most of the cars currently in service are nearing the end of their life. VIA Rail will retire a portion of its current fleet starting 2019, as such, on-time delivery was a key criterion to maintain the current level of services and jobs in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.

On December 12, 2018, VIA Rail announced that Siemens Canada was awarded a $989 million contract to build the 32 trainsets that will replace VIA Rail’s fleet that operates in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Siemens Canada was selected following a fair, open, rigorous and transparent bidding process under the oversight of an independent fairness monitor and VIA Rail’s Board of Directors. On-time delivery, quality of product and price were the criteria on which all the proponents were evaluated.

Starting in 2022, millions of VIA Rail passengers travelling in Canada’s busiest Corridor will enjoy a new era of brand-new trains, with more comfortable seats, offering more spaces for people with reduced mobility and equipped with the latest technology to be more fuel-efficient and reduce the carbon footprint of travel.

The new VIA Rail Corridor fleet will be equipped with some of the following key features:

  • Improved comfort for travelers: LED lighting, USB ports, wide seats, quiet-zones, new interior design elements, bike storage, flexible luggage space.

  • Enhanced universal accessibility features designed to exceed accessibility standards: multiple spaces for wheelchairs and other mobility devices on the trains, braille seat numbering, companion seating, at-seat emergency call buttons, larger fully accessible washrooms, integrated mobility device lift on each trainset.
     
  • Enhanced safety features exceeding the latest safety standards.

  • Improved locomotive engines meeting EPA - Tier 4 emission standards.
     
  • Bi-directional operation will lower operating cost while yielding more passenger capacity.

Over its 30-year expected life, the new fleet will be maintained in Canada by qualified VIA Rail employees at VIA Rail’s Montreal and Toronto Maintenance Centers. Maintenance activities will be supported by a 15-year Technical Services and Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA) valued at $23,7 million per year.

VIA Rail’s Modernization

The Quebec City – Windsor corridor fleet replacement is part of VIA Rail’s transformation plan for Canadian passenger rail service. This plan also includes renovating a part of the rolling stock that operates on VIA Rail’s long-distance routes. Accordingly, the following work was announced earlier in 2018 at several locations:

    • 17 accessible cars – Bombardier Transportation – La Pocatière
    • 25 economy cars – Cad Railway Industries – Montréal
    • 4 dining cars – Rail GD – Gaspésie
    • Up to 33 economy and business cars – VIA Rail’s Montréal Maintenance Centre

This renovation work represents an investment of approximately $154 million, undertaken by 300 workers in Quebec.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports nearly 4.8 million passengers annually. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the “About VIA Rail” section at https://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

About Siemens CanadaSince 1912 Siemens Canada has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality and reliability. Siemens technology in the fields of electrification, automation and digitalization helps make real what matters to Canadians. From the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, Siemens Canada employees deliver solutions for sustainable energy, smart infrastructure, and the digital enterprise. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. With its separately managed subsidiary Siemens Healthineers Limited, the company is also a foremost provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. Sales for Siemens Canada in fiscal 2018 (ended September 30), were $3 billion CAD. The company has approximately 4,800 employees and 44 locations across Canada, including nine production facilities. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca.