The City of Ottawa and SNC Lavalin Group have declared Stadler the winner of the contract for seven four-unit diesel electric FLIRT trains (part of the Stage 2 O-Train Trillium Line extension project).

The contract, which is worth about 80 million Swiss Francs, means that Canada is the 18th country to purchase Stadler FLIRT trains.

According to the contract, vehicle deliveries to Ottawa (for extensive testing) will start in mid-2021.

This is Stadler’s second contract in Canada; the company is currently building double-deck dome cars for the Rocky
Mountaineer service, which takes passengers on scenic routes north-east of Vancouver.

The seven four-unit trains for Ottawa are equipped with four 480kW diesel engines; they can reach 120kph and comply with the emission standard ‘Tier4 final’, with the North American Track Class IV, with ADA and with AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) standards, as well as with the North American fire safety standard NFPA 130.

The Stadler (www.stadlerrail.com) site in Bussnang, Switzerland, will build and assemble the trains.

The company has considerable experience with projects for countries that experience extreme winter weather.

Stadler FLIRT trains are already in service — and achieving high levels of operational availability — in Estonia, Norway, Finland and Sweden.