VIA Rail Canada 3451-3478

Interior of a rebuilt LRC Club car

VIA Rail Canada 3451-3478 are LRC Business class cars.

History

Original Conversions

The LRC cars are the first passenger cars bought new by VIA Rail since it was formed in 1978. They were also the first active-tilt passenger cars in the world to be introduced into revenue service. The cars were mainly built out of aluminum, and are two inches shorter than other single-level cars in order to increase operational speed and to cut down on air resistance. The cars were also equipped with an advanced suspension system in order to improve the ride quality on conventional track.

3451-3475 were converted from coach cars 3375-3399, and 3477-3478 were converted from coach cars 3373 and 3374. Prior to rebuild, 3477-3478 were numbered 3600-3601. The origins of car 3476 are currently unknown.

Features

Inside, there is seating for 44 passengers in a 2+1 layout. Seating is oriented in a '50-50' configuration, with the front half facing the B-end and the rear half facing the A-end. These cars have four group seating sections; one each at the ends of the cars and two in the middle. Seating is of the Grammer ICE3000 model with footrests, extended headrests, thicker armrests, and increased seat padding compared to Economy class coaches. These cars feature a medium sized galley equipped with ovens, used for preparing meals for Business class passengers. Immediately behind the galley is a baggage space for carry-on bags that cannot be stored in overhead bins. Finally, the cars feature two washrooms at the 'B' end, with one of them being accessible.

Refurbishment

In 2005-2007, VIA disassembled a Club Car, 3451, and assessed the car's structure and sub-systems. VIA installed new and refurbished components in the cars for evaluation. It was deemed beneficial and cost-effective to refurbish the LRC fleet instead of designing a new car to meet VIA's needs.^[1] Industrial Rail Services Inc. (IRSI) in Moncton, NB was awarded the contract in 2009 to refurbish the whole of the LRC fleet.^[2] The $100 million project will allow the LRC cars to run for an additional 20 years of service. The first car was completed and released in March 2011.

On April 11, 2012, VIA Rail terminated its contract with IRSI after the company fell behind in completing refurbished LRC cars. The company was unable to repay its loans from the New Brunswick government and was placed into receivership. CAD Railway Industries took over the contract and managed the refurbishment of the remaining 10 cars at the IRSI facility.^[3] The remainder of the fleet is being refurbished by CAD (Economy Class cars) and VIA’s Montreal Maintenance Centre (Business Class cars).^[4]

The trucks, wheelsets, couplers and drawbars, as well as intercar diaphragms are overhauled. Corrosion on the aluminum alloy carshells is repaired and treated with a protective anti-corrosion layer. The cars' banking system is being removed to reduce maintenance costs as well as the weight of each car by two tonnes. Smaller and more energy efficient wiring, LED lighting, nickel cadmium batteries, advanced microprocessor controls, the elimination of obsolete and inefficient relays and switches, high-efficiency linear motors for automatic door operation, and the installation of a new HVAC system will allow for a projected increase of 20 percent energy efficiency. The new HVAC system divides the cars into four separately-controlled zones where sensors and microprocessors automatically adjust the temperature appropriately. A water-based cleaning system flushes the air conditioning condensers during servicing to allow optimum efficiency.^[1]

The refurbished Business Class cars are repainted into a new livery. The lower body is dark grey while the upper portion is in darker "Renaissance green". A yellow stripe separates the two that ends toward one end of the car where a light grey band kicks up toward the roof. A reflective yellow stripe is near the roofline. The VIA1 logo was replaced by the new 'Business' logo as part of a re-branding. A new earth tone interior colour scheme replaces the previous teal and burgundy scheme. Seats were replaced with Grammer ICE3000 seats arranged in 2+1 configuration, upholstered in leather and are accented with pale green or ocher. The new seats feature an extended recline, adjustable articulated seat bottoms, and footrests. These cars previously featured 56 rotatable seats arranged in a 2+2 configuration. Lavatories received new finishes and fixtures.

All LRC Club cars now have a 50-50 seating arrangement; this arrangement was installed beginning in mid-2015.

Deployment

These cars are only found on the Corridor services.

Retirement

As these cars are built entirely of aluminum, they have in recent years been increasingly prone to metal fatigue. These cars will be retired in 2022-2024, when 32 new trainsets will enter service.

Details

Fleet number	Status/Disposal	Notes
3451
3452
3453
3454
3455
3456		Refurbished
3457	RETIRED Fire/derailment damage
3458		Refurbished
3459
3460
3461
3462
3463
3464		Refurbished
3465
3466		Refurbished
3467		Refurbished
3468
3469
3470
3471
3472
3473
3474
3475
3476		Refurbished
3477		Refurbished Renumbered from 3600
3478		Refurbished Renumbered from 3601