VIA RAIL UNVEILS LUMI, THE UNIQUE TRAIN OF ITS NEW CORRIDOR FLEET

Highlights

• VIA Rail is excited to unveil a special exterior design for one of its new Québec City-Windsor corridor trains.
• Summer 2024: Commercial entry into service of the new trains in Southwestern Ontario.
• End of 2024: 63% of new trains in service in the Corridor.
• Summer 2025: Complete replacement of all the trains in the Corridor.

 

Montréal, July 10, 2024 – VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is excited to unveil a special exterior design for one of its new Québec City-Windsor corridor trains. Introducing Lumi, the unique train of its new Corridor fleet, which bears VIA Rail’s classic monochrome yellow all while keeping the signature linear lines of the new trains.  

 

“Some of you may now know we have new trains in the Québec City-Windsor corridor!” said Brigitte Dagnault, VIA Rail’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. “Lumi is another way to celebrate the arrival of our new fleet and to let even more people know that they can now enjoy an unparalleled onboard experience thanks to these new modern and state-of-the-art trains. Simple and efficient, the monochrome yellow, our brand’s signature colour, is a bold brand play that will stand out in the Canadian landscape.”

 

Lumi will be the only new train with this unique exterior design and acts as a reminder of the beginning of a new era for passenger rail. As others have done when introducing a new fleet, VIA Rail wanted to make a strong gesture by differentiating one of its trains with a special exterior design.

Several design alternatives were evaluated with the goal of both a nod to the past and a look to the future. In the end, simplicity won: reminiscent of the design of the Turbo Train that ran between Montréal and Toronto until 1982, Lumi stands out and becomes a "Champion" for the new fleet with its luminous design.

 

"When people arrive at stations and see Lumi, we want them to feel proud and excited about the modernization of our trains. We're looking at different alternatives, but we would like the experience on board Lumi to stand out a bit, perhaps with a few surprises for our passengers. We are continuously focusing on offering an exceptional experience from reservation to destination, one that will become a core memory of our customers’ travels. Lumi is part of that vision,” adds Brigitte Dagnault.

 

Short for luminosity, Lumi is a one-of-a-kind yellow train that will be in service by the end of August. Just like our other new trains, a series of tests need to be performed before going into service: Lumi’s tests will start within the next couple of days between Ottawa and Montréal, so be on the lookout!

More information on the features of the new Corridor fleet, including redesigned ergonomic seats, large adjustable tray tables, large and fully accessible washrooms, as well as the routes that it currently serves can be found on our website.

The media kit is available here.