Quebec train factory gets new life as Canada pushes to build rail cars at home

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 02, 2026

Photo Courtesy: CBC News

A train factory in La Pocatière, Quebec, that once faced years of layoffs and uncertainty is expanding again as Canada increases efforts to build major rail projects domestically.

The Alstom plant has grown to about 550 workers, up from roughly 150 employees in 2021, as new contracts bring more work to the facility. One of the biggest is a $4.7-billion VIA Rail project announced by the federal government in September.

Under the VIA Rail project, 313 new passenger cars will be manufactured in Canada. The La Pocatière facility will produce the car bodies, while final assembly will take place at Alstom’s plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Design and engineering work will be based in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec.

The investment is part of a broader push to bring passenger rail manufacturing back to Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the new fleet will replace VIA Rail cars that have been in service for more than 70 years, with the first new cars expected to enter service in 2031.

For La Pocatière, the new work represents a major change after the plant’s workforce fell sharply from more than 1,000 employees in the 1990s. The facility is also involved in other Canadian rail projects, including work connected to transit systems in Quebec and Toronto.

The federal government says the VIA Rail project will directly support nearly 700 jobs in Ontario and Quebec and generate about $1.6 billion in economic benefits. Alstom will also draw on more than 900 Canadian suppliers, with the project designed to maximize the use of Canadian steel and other domestic components.

For workers in La Pocatière, the shift toward Canadian procurement means more than another contract. It is bringing long-term manufacturing work back to a factory that had spent years dealing with uncertainty, while giving Canada greater capacity to design and build its own passenger trains.