CANARAIL selects Ontario Northland for the Refurbishment Contract of Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Cars Creating Up to 80 New Jobs in North Bay

NORTH BAY, ON, July 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Ontario Northland is pleased to announce it has been awarded a contract from CANARAIL to refurbish Rocky Mountaineer luxury passenger rail cars.

This work will result in approximately 50 new jobs in the Remanufacturing and Repair Centre (RRC) in the immediate term and up to 80 new positions over the course of the four-year contract. The contract will also provide a significant economic boost to North Bay and surrounding areas.

Since 2014, CANARAIL has delivered five refurbished cars to Rocky Mountaineer. The new contract with Ontario Northland will allow CANARAIL to deliver an additional eleven cars over the next four years.

"We are excited to be working with Ontario Northland to revitalize these luxury bi-level dome cars for Rocky Mountaineer," stated Miguel Valero, CANARAIL's President and CEO. "Our collective rail expertise will produce quality refurbishment work. We aim to meet and exceed our customer's requirements." 

"Ontario Northland has a reputation for quality work, and we are pleased to be working with their team here in Canada" said Gord Miller, Vice President of Rail Operations and Asset Development at Rocky Mountaineer. "As the world's largest privately owned passenger rail company, our rail cars set the stage for many unforgettable journeys, and we are committed to ensuring we have world class equipment, engineered and built with our guests in mind."

"Winning this contract is a result of our reputation in the rail industry for quality work and the combined efforts of our remanufacturing and repair team who have enhanced our competitiveness," stated Corina Moore, President and CEO of Ontario Northland. "It also marks an important step forward to reaching the organization's transformation goals."

This contract will result in an extra shift being added in RRC. Since Ontario Northland expanded its capabilities, RRC has been busy with diverse remanufacturing and repair work. In less than two years, the division has expanded from focusing solely on passenger car refurbishment to securing freight car, locomotive, and wheel repair contracts. The company's diverse skill set continues to attract work.

Ontario Northland is a leader in transportation and rail remanufacturing. RRC currently employs over 150 skilled and professional rail workers who extend the life of rail assets and provide solutions to transportation companies throughout North America.

About CANARAIL
Founded in 1991, CANARAIL is a Quebec-based rail consulting and engineering firm that specializes in mining, heavy haul freight, and urban domains. CANARAIL is known for its expertise in feasibility studies, consulting, detailed design, and the supervision of construction of major projects across all components of a railway project: infrastructure, rolling stock, systems, operations, etc. Over the last 25 years, CANARAIL has participated in over 800 projects in Canada, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, North America, Australia, Europe, and Latin America (can be viewed on www.canarail.com). CANARAIL, headquartered in Montreal, has over 100 employees.

About Rocky Mountaineer
Since 1990, Rocky Mountaineer, the world's largest privately owned luxury tourist train, has welcomed over 1.7 million guests to inhale the mountain air and let nature take their breath away. An unparalleled experience onboard the all dome-fleet offers rich, historic storytelling, World Class cuisine and a first-hand look at the vast and untouched wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the Canadian Rockies. With over 65 vacation packages, guests can chose from four unique rail routes, including the company's second three day rail route, Rainforest to Gold Rush, and travel through iconic destinations such as Seattle, WA, Vancouver, BC, and the majestic Canadian Rockies in Alberta.

SOURCE Ontario Northland Transportation Commission

Image with caption: "CANARAIL selects Ontario Northland for the Refurbishment Contract of Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Cars Creating Up to 80 New Jobs in North Bay (CNW Group/Ontario Northland Transportation Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160714_C2265_PHOTO_EN_734892.jpg

For further information: about Ontario Northland, CANARAIL and Rocky Mountaineer please contact: Renée Baker, Communications Manager, [email protected], Tel: [phone] or 1.800.363.7512 ext. 530, cell 705.499.7573; Guillaume Genin, Vice President - Business Development, [email protected], Tel: [phone]; Shannon Kidd, Senior Manager, Communications, [email protected], Tel: [phone]