NEWS RELEASE
METROLINX
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Through two new agreements in principle with Metrolinx rail partners, 302 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches are set to be refurbished in northern Ontario.
One package of work will see 181 train cars refurbished at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay and the other 121 cars will be retrofitted by Ontario Northland at their facility in North Bay. Combined, this work will support hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Ontario.
As part of the refurbishment, the train cars will be upgraded with the following features:
- New seating, flooring, and walls
- New train doors
- Upgraded washrooms and electrical outlets with USB ports
- Modern heating and air conditioning systems
Refurbishing the bi-level coaches will extend their service life by 20 years and ensure a smooth and reliable ride for GO customers. This work is crucial to ensuring the GO Transit fleet can support two-way, all-day GO train service coming to the network’s most-travelled rail routes.
Locomotive refurbishments
On top of the train car refresh work, Ontario Northland will refurbish several F59 locomotives that Metrolinx purchased from Metrolink (Southern California’s Regional Rail Authority) last year. These locomotives will provide operational support for GO Transit operations and as spare parts for maintenance and refurbishment of GO’s existing F59 fleet.
Fast facts
- GO Transit has been using the green and white double-decker train cars since 1978.
- GO Transit has 979 bi-level rail coaches, all manufactured in Thunder Bay.
- Refurbishing the bi-level coaches will extend their service life by 20 years.
- In 2021, Metrolinx placed an order for 94 bi-level coach refurbishments at the Alstom Thunder Bay facility.
- In 2022, Metrolinx finalized an agreement with ONTC for the refurbishment of a total of 71 bi-level coaches at their North Bay facility.
For customers, please visit Metrolinx — Contact Us to contact the Community Engagement team.
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