VIA Rail has begun construction of a C$357 million assembly and maintenance facility in Montréal, Québec. Pomerleau is building the 100,000-square-foot VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility, which will host final assembly of up to 36 hybrid locomotives from Stadler before switching to fleet maintenance. The building is scheduled to open in summer 2029.
The VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility sits at the center of a fleet renewal program that VIA Rail says represents about C$6.7 billion in Government of Canada investment. The railway expects that program to generate 6,050 full-time equivalent jobs across Canada and more than C$2 billion in economic benefits. Moreover, the federal government says the facility will return passenger locomotive assembly to Montréal for the first time in more than 25 years.
The drive to build more of Canada’s equipment at home reaches beyond the railway sector. In Etobicoke, the Mitrex Toronto solar factory that began operating in 2021 was set up to make all of the company’s building-integrated photovoltaic products in Canada, and a recent PLANT magazine feature based on a plant visit describes it as an active production site. Mitrex chief executive Danial Hadizadeh told the magazine that product engineering is no longer the bottleneck as the company works to lift building-integrated solar from roughly 2 percent market adoption toward 10 percent. Thus, both projects test how much of the equipment behind Canadian buildings and railways can be produced domestically.
VIA Rail Montréal Facility Will Finish Up to 36 Hybrid Locomotives in Canada
The VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility will cover approximately 100,000 square feet, roughly the footprint of almost two American football fields. The building will be integrated into VIA Rail’s existing Montréal Maintenance Centre and will draw on the infrastructure and technical teams already based there.
In its first phase, the VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility will handle final assembly and pre-service testing for up to 36 of the 45 battery-diesel hybrid locomotives ordered from Stadler. According to Stadler, the first nine units will be built and assembled at its Valencia plant in Spain, with the remaining 36 finished in Canada.
In addition, Stadler plans to set up a Canadian subsidiary to deliver a 20-year technical support and spare parts agreement. Staff are expected to be based at VIA Rail maintenance sites in Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The locomotives will use battery systems supplied by ABB from its Saint-Laurent facility in Québec. The federal government describes the units as among the first hybrid-powered passenger locomotives in North America, and Stadler states that the design is built for temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit).
Once assembly work ends, the VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility will shift to long-term maintenance of the entire new fleet. That fleet includes the 313 passenger cars ordered from Alstom.
Pomerleau Schedules Foundation Work for Mid-January 2027
Pomerleau and VIA Rail marked the start of construction on October 8, 2026, at a ceremony attended by approximately 60 employees and local suppliers, according to the VIA Rail announcement. Site excavation is under way and is scheduled to continue through January 2027. Foundation work is expected to start in mid-January.
At the peak of construction, up to 200 workers are expected on site at the VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility. The building is scheduled to become operational in summer 2029, ahead of the first locomotive assembly work in Canada.
Pomerleau chief executive Philippe Adam described the project as VIA Rail’s “largest construction project in Montréal in nearly 40 years.” Meanwhile, the contractor is not new to the site. Pomerleau was previously awarded work at the Montréal Maintenance Centre under VIA Rail’s Corridor Fleet Replacement Program, with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2023.
The announcements reviewed did not name a design team for the VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility. They also gave no separate contract value for Pomerleau, so the C$357 million figure should be read as the federal allocation for the facility.
VIA Rail Fleet Renewal Program Links the Montréal Facility to C$6.7 Billion in Federal Investment
The Government of Canada announced a C$1.95 billion package on July 29, 2026, split between C$1.6 billion for the 45 Stadler locomotives and C$357 million for the Montréal facility. The government said the two investments would support the equivalent of 1,200 full-time jobs across manufacturing, construction, engineering and long-term maintenance.
Subsequently, VIA Rail signed a C$4.7 billion agreement with Alstom for 313 passenger cars in September 2026. The package includes about C$4 billion for the rolling stock and roughly C$700 million for a 15-year support agreement.
Alstom will build the cars in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and La Pocatière, Québec, with design and engineering work in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec. The federal government says Alstom will draw on more than 900 Canadian suppliers.
The new equipment is intended to replace long-distance passenger cars that are up to 77 years old, which means some entered service shortly after the Second World War. Furthermore, the VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility gives that renewal a domestic base for assembly and upkeep.
The federal government puts its total fleet investment at more than C$6.6 billion, while VIA Rail cites C$6.7 billion. Both figures combine the locomotive package and the Alstom car order.
VIA Rail has begun construction of a C$357 million assembly and maintenance facility in Montréal, Québec.
Project Overview
- Project Name: VIA Rail Montréal Assembly and Maintenance Facility
- Owner and Operator: VIA Rail Canada
- Main Contractor: Pomerleau
- Location: Montréal, Québec, within the existing Montréal Maintenance Centre
- Project Type: Locomotive final assembly, testing and fleet maintenance facility
- Project Value: C$357 million, funded by the Government of Canada
- Floor Area: Approximately 100,000 square feet
- Primary Function: Final assembly of up to 36 of 45 Stadler hybrid locomotives, then long-term maintenance of the new fleet, including 313 Alstom cars
- Construction Start: October 8, 2026
- Site Works: Excavation through January 2027; foundation work from mid-January 2027
- Target Completion: Operational in summer 2029
- Peak Workforce: Up to 200 workers
- Fleet Program Value: About C$6.7 billion (VIA Rail); more than C$6.6 billion (federal government)
- Program Jobs and Benefits: 6,050 full-time equivalent jobs and more than C$2 billion in economic benefits (VIA Rail projection)
- Pomerleau Contract Value: Not publicly disclosed
Project Team
Owner and Developer
- Owner and Operator: VIA Rail Canada
Public Bodies
- Funding Authority: Government of Canada
- Announcing Department: Transport Canada
Contractors
- Main Contractor: Pomerleau
Suppliers
- Locomotive Supplier: Stadler
- Battery Supplier: ABB (Saint-Laurent, Québec)
- Passenger Car Supplier: Alstom (fleet to be maintained at the facility)
Design and Advisors
- Architect and Design Team: Not publicly disclosed
- Engineering Consultants: Not publicly disclosed
Related Project
- Toronto Solar Factory Operator: Mitrex
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