Canada's long-distance railways are about to undergo a comprehensive overhaul. The old trains that have been in service for nearly 80 years in the local area will gradually be phased out. Alstom, with its mature technology, has won a heavyweight order and used localized production solutions to help upgrade Canadian railways, driving employment and economic growth.

Winning a heavyweight order

On September 3, 2026, Alstom officially announced a partnership with VIA Railway Company in Canada, winning a railway vehicle project contract worth CAD 4.7 billion and approximately EUR 3 billion. The project includes the design and manufacturing of 313 Adessia series buses, as well as 15 years of technical support services, with a vehicle value of approximately 4 billion Canadian dollars and a technical support and spare parts supply value of nearly 700 million Canadian dollars. This is also another landmark order obtained by Alstom in Canada, following the CAD 2.3 billion order for Toronto Metro Line 2 in 2025. The new fleet will fully replace old vehicles and be deployed on eight long-distance routes in Canada, using Canadian domestic design, manufacturing, and assembly methods throughout the entire journey.

Empowering local development

The buses delivered this time are equipped with nine different cabin configurations, covering diverse travel needs, while optimizing the interior space and lighting, and equipped with network and network security protection systems. This series of trains has strong adaptability, with a speed of up to 120 to 200 kilometers per hour, compatible with various routes and extreme cold climates. It has been applied in nearly 20 countries around the world, delivering over 48000 vehicles and serving more than 20 million passengers per day. Keywords: rail transit going global, railway upgrading

After the project is implemented, it will create 670 direct employment opportunities for Canada, generate hundreds of indirect supply chain jobs, and contribute over CAD 1.6 billion to the local GDP. At present, Alstom has 5200 employees in Canada and collaborates with over 900 suppliers. It is deeply involved in the construction of rail transit in multiple regions and continues to cultivate the North American rail transit market.Editor/Min Jing