Extended deal with Alstom reinforces partnership

By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Source: The Chronicle-Journal

An Ontario government five-year, $1.3-billion contract extension with Alstom to continue operating and maintaining GO Transit and Union Pearson Express fleets will help protect Ontario workers but will not have a direct effect on Thunder Bay’s Alstom facility.

Lindsay Fenton, managing director for the Thunder Bay Alstom plant, said the extension will support jobs across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area over the next five years.

“It has no direct impact and provides no further work for the Thunder Bay plant,” she confirmed. “However, it is good news for this plant as this agreement further cements our strong partnership with Metrolinx.”

Fenton said the extended agreement will help maintain service while key infrastructure and signalling work continues under the GO Expansion program, which will support current rail operations through 2031.

“The GO Transit coaches that are currently being refurbished in Thunder Bay will be returning to the (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) where our Alstom colleagues will maintain and operate them,” she said.

“We build, run, take care of and renew GO trains, which shows our top Canadian client’s faith in our wide-ranging skills and expertise.”

Fenton added, “Our partnership with Metrolinx will benefit Alstom workers in Thunder Bay and elsewhere in Canada well into the future.”

In January, the province awarded the Thunder Bay Alstom plant a $2.3-billion Toronto Transit Commission new subway train contract to replace the fleet on Toronto’s Line 2, and to serve on subway extension projects. The contract includes 70, six-car Metropolis metro trains and the opportunity to produce up to 150 additional train sets as needed.

(File photo)