Canarail selects Ontario Northland for Rocky Mountaineer

Ontario Northland has been chosen by Canarail to refurbish Rocky Mountaineer luxury passenger rail cars.

Since 2014, Canarail has delivered five refurbished cars to Rocky Mountaineer. The new contract with Ontario Northland will allow Canarail to deliver an additional eleven cars over the next four years.

“We are excited to be working with Ontario Northland to revitalize these luxury bi-level dome cars for Rocky Mountaineer,” stated Miguel Valero, Canarail’s President and CEO.

This work will result in approximately 50 new jobs in the Remanufacturing and Repair Centre (RRC) in the immediate term and up to 80 new positions over the course of the four-year contract. The contract will also provide a significant economic boost to North Bay and surrounding areas.

“Ontario Northland has a reputation for quality work, and we are pleased to be working with their team here in Canada” said Gord Miller, Vice President of Rail Operations and Asset Development at Rocky Mountaineer. “As the world’s largest privately owned passenger rail company, our rail cars set the stage for many unforgettable journeys, and we are committed to ensuring we have world class equipment, engineered and built with our guests in mind.”

“Winning this contract is a result of our reputation in the rail industry for quality work and the combined efforts of our remanufacturing and repair team who have enhanced our competitiveness,” stated Corina Moore, President and CEO of Ontario Northland. “It also marks an important step forward to reaching the organization’s transformation goals.”

This contract will result in an extra shift being added in RRC. Since Ontario Northland expanded its capabilities, RRC has been busy with diverse remanufacturing and repair work. In less than two years, the division has expanded from focusing solely on passenger car refurbishment to securing freight car, locomotive, and wheel repair contracts.