VIA Rail shows off new, modern train servicing Windsor-Essex

VIA Rail Canada is showing off its new trains that will serve passengers in Southwestern Ontario, including those in Windsor-Essex.

The newest addition to the fleet of trains arrived Thursday at the Windsor Train Station on Walker Road, between Riverside Drive and Wyandotte Street East.

In all, VIA Rail is adding 32 new trains, with 63 percent of the new trains expected to be in service through the Quebec City-Windsor corridor by the end of 2024 and all of the trains completely replaced by summer 2025.

Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk says this is a $1 billion investment on the part of the government.

"This is what it's all about; this is about moving people and getting them to their destination in comfort and on time," he says.

The state-of-the-art, modern, and fully accessible trains include more space, redesigned ergonomic seats, large adjustable tray tables, and large and fully accessible washrooms.

Kusmierczyk says this is transformative for our region.

"We see thousands of people moving to the region. We're seeing jobs piling up, and with the investments we're making, our community is growing. Now we have a brand new fleet of trains to be able to get people from point A to point B. Even from an environmental standpoint, this is the most responsible way to travel, it's environmentally friendly," he says.

Kusmierczyk, who travels by train between Windsor and Ottawa, says the new trains offer a lot.

"Comfort, absolutely! Some of the amenities are here as well. Even things like access to Wi-Fi, access to USB ports, and things like that. The space that's here, the bathrooms, and the fact that it's fully accessible—those are all huge differences. The trains that we're riding here on this leg of the journey were often times 70-year-old cars," he says.

The new trains are expected to have a 30 year life span.

Each train set has 194 economy seats, 87 business-class seats, 6 wheelchair lifts, and 5 mobility aid spaces.