Amtrak and VIA look to replace long distance fleets

[mdvle]

Amtrak issued a RFI (Request for Information) in December 2022 for the replacement of their Superliner (I and II), Viewliner (I and II) and Amfleet II long distance fleets.

 

News reports are that 10 companies submitted proposals and a formal tendering process is expected to be announced later this year.

 

Following on VIA issued its own RFI in January for the replacement of its long distance fleet, details at https://www.merx.com/viarail/solicitations/Notice-of-Market-Consultation-Long-Distance-Regional-and-Remote/0000240111

 

 

[VIA185]

Presumably this is following the structural tests on VIA's 'heritage' (1950s Budd) stainless steel cars which required a 'buffer' (empty) car as a 'crumple zone' in the event of a collision, this meaning that it is no longer permissible to have an occupied 'Park' car at the end of the 'Canadian' presumably - after all the money that must have been spent to create 'prestige class'. These near-70-year-old cars have finally come to the end of the road it seems. 

[BR60103]

The Canadian cars have outlasted a couple of sets of cars that were supposed to replace them.

 

[mdvle]

17 hours ago, VIA185 said:

Presumably this is following the structural tests on VIA's 'heritage' (1950s Budd) stainless steel cars which required a 'buffer' (empty) car as a 'crumple zone' in the event of a collision,

 

My understanding is that the structural tests haven't yet been completed and/or the results made known yet (the buffer cars were a precaution until the structural tests could be done) and there are comments that the tests results aren't doom and gloom.

 

I have also read in the past that the Renaissance cars will end-of-life prior to the Budd cars unless something really bad turns up in the Budd car tests.

 

As far as I'm aware the Canadian Government has provided no funding (promise or otherwise) to VIA to replace the long distance fleets (Amtrak apparently does have at least some funding for their program) though the upcoming federal budget may change this.

 

To me this sounds more like a "hey, your designing new trains for Amtrak, this is what we need and so maybe our needs can be incorporated into the designs you do for Amtrak" situation to allow for a future purchase if government funding becomes available to be easier.