VIA receives first environmentally enhanced F-40 locomotive from CAD Railway Industries
MONTREAL, July 16, 2009

Today at VIA Rail Canada’s Montreal Maintenance Centre, Mr. Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and VIA President and CEO Paul Côté announced the arrival of the first of 54 rebuilt F-40 locomotives from CAD Railway Industries (CAD) of Lachine, Québec.

“It gives me great pleasure to see VIA receive this impressive piece of precision railway equipment,” said Mr. Gourde. “By investing in these high-performance locomotives, this government is demonstrating its belief that money spent on VIA’s equipment renewal is a wise way to stimulate economic activity in Canada’s advanced industrial sector, contribute to environmental sustainability and improve Canada’s passenger rail system for years to come.”

The rebuild program will extend the life of VIA’s 54 F-40 diesel-electric locomotives by another 15 to 20 years at less than half the cost of buying new equipment. The rebuilt F-40 diesel locomotives – which constitute 70% of VIA’s motive power fleet – will incorporate many systems that were not available when they were built in London, Ontario, between 1986 and 1989. When the program is completed at the end of 2012, these new technologies will reduce the fleet’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 12% and will contribute significantly to the 16% system reduction in VIA’s GHGs since 1990.

The enhanced F-40 fleet will also produce fuel savings of five million litres per year and reduce maintenance costs by 8% annually. They will be recognizable by their new green, silver and gold paint scheme, and the timely slogan they will carry on their flanks: “A Green Choice.”

Funding for this capital rebuild program was announced in October 2007, as part of the Government of Canada’s $691.9 million investment in VIA Rail, of which $516 million will be invested in capital improvements.

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