Alstom Retains GO Train Contract, Avoids Disruption

0:00I'm Cory with the story, and this is your Pulse of the City, Canada news today. French Rail Company Alstom just landed a 5-year contract extension worth $1.3 billion to keep operating and maintaining the GO. And up-express trains in Ontario. Last year, plans for a 23-year deal with Germany's Deutsche Bahn and Canadian firm Acon Group collapsed, so they won't take over the main. Reminds as planned on January 1st, 2025. Alstom has handled GO operations since 2021 when it acquired Bombadier's Rail Division, though two of its operators were recently fired, after a near derailment on an Oakfield bound train carrying 120 passengers. This comes amid the massive GO expansion project, Ontario's biggest transit initiative, which aims to turn the commuter rail into an all-day two-way. Oakwood trains every 15 minutes or better on key routes, boosting ridership to over 200 million annually by 2055.

1:02Sticking with Alstom avoids immediate disruptions, but shifting operators could still slow down procurement for the expansion as the region pushes to. Heat-growing transportation demands.