A GE P42DC with ten Renaissance coaches laying over at the Via Toronto Maintenance Center.
(Buddah, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
RENAISSANCE RAILCAR
The Renaissance fleet is a set of intercity railroad cars owned and operated by Via Rail Canada.
History
The cars were built by Metro-Cammell in the mid-1990s for the proposed Nightstar overnight service between the United Kingdom and continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel. They are based on the British Rail Mark 4 design, but with heavy weight steel construction (by European standards) to meet safety requirements for the carriages to run through the Channel Tunnel.
In 2000, after the Nightstar concept was abandoned, Via acquired an initial three carriages for trials. In December 2000, the remaining 136 carriages were acquired, entering service in June 2002.
On May 26th, 2024 Via Rail officially retired the renaissance cars from services on the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor. The cars will remain in revenue service on long-distance routes until a suitable replacement is found which is not expected until at least the early 2030s.
Interior of a Renaissance coach.
(Colin Stepney, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Accessibility
The Council for Canadians with Disabilities successfully sued Via Rail in Council of Canadians with Disabilities v. VIA Rail Canada Inc. over the lack of accessibility of the Renaissance cars. The Canadian Transportation Agency ordered Via to retrofit some of the fleet to ensure the availability of accessible accommodations. Nevertheless, the Renaissance cars remain the least accessible in the fleet.
Coach Car interior depicting Comfort Class. (abdallahh, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Lounge Car interior. (abdallahh, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Transition Car interior. (Colin Stepney, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Car types
Via acquired the entire original 139-car fleet; as designed it comprised 72 sleepers, 47 coaches, and 20 service cars. Via rebuilt fifteen of the sleepers into dining and baggage cars. Thirty-three carriages never entered service, remaining in store at Thunder Bay.
| Type | In service | Fleet numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baggage car | 9 | 7000–7011 | Built out of unused sleeping car shells. |
| Club car | 14 | 7100–7114 | 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration. |
| Coach | 33 | 7200–7232 | 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration. |
| Lounge car | 20 | 7300–7316; 7354–7359 | Via Rail refers to these as "service" cars. |
| Dining car | 3 | 7400–7402 | 48-seat capacity; built out of unused sleeping car shells. |
| Sleeping car | 27 | 7500–7589 | 10 double bedrooms. 29 unfinished shells were stored at Thunder Bay. These have since been scrapped. |
| Transition Car | 3 | 7600–7602 | Barrier vehicle used to transition between the European Renaissance couplers and the standard knuckle couplers on HEP rolling stock. |
Overview
In service: 2002–present
Manufacturer: Metro-Cammell
Built at: Washwood Heath, UK
Number built: 139
Capacity: 48 seats (coach, club cars)
Capacity: 48 seats (dining car)
Capacity: 10 double rooms (sleeping cars)
Operators: Via Rail
Specifications
Maximum speed 200 km/h (124 mph)
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
