It’s a contract that will ensure jobs for a number of years.
The Alstom plant in Thunder Bay will refurbish 94 rail coaches for GO Transit in a deal that’s worth $171 million between Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation.
“It simply makes sense to refurbish these made-in-Ontario railcars in the same facility that built them,” said Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney. “This is part of our plan to advance Ontario’s transit priorities while supporting good-paying jobs in the province.
In a written statement, Mayor Bill Mauro was excited for the work to come to town:
As we continue to work on the long-term viability of the Alstom Plant in Thunder Bay, today’s announcement confirming the refurbishment of 94 bi-level coaches in Thunder Bay can provide a bridge forward to much needed additional work. I want to thank Minister Mulroney for being in Thunder Bay with us today as we continue to collaborate and work towards a robust workforce at our local plant.
Union spokesperson Dominic Pasqualino (CAW Local 1075) notes this is good news for those looking to get back to work.
“We now have a base that will probably be running about 400 people between this contract and the light rail vehicle (LRV) contract, and they are probably going to both start up at the end of the summer.”
This work is in addition to the province buying 36 bilevel rail cars in 2019.
With files from Katie Nicholls and Kevin Jeffrey
