Alstom and Canadian customer Rocky Mountaineer celebrated the delivery of the third rebuilt luxury railcar at Alstom’s Mare Island facility in California on March 18, 2016. Alstom has already modernized and delivered two cars and will soon deliver a fourth. In 2016, Rocky Mountaineer confirmed that Alstom would rebuild two additional cars for its SilverLeaf Service fleet, bringing the total number of rebuilt cars, after project completion, to six.

Rocky Mountaineer operates a luxury tourist train service in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, showcasing the wild beauty of Canada’s west and the majestic Rocky mountains. It has grown over the past 26 years to become the largest privately owned luxury tourist train company in the world. In 2014, Rocky Mountaineer launched a rebuild strategy to increase the capacity of its SilverLeaf Service fleet by converting its former RedLeaf Service cars into single level coaches, thereby extending the lifespan of its railcars, and increasing passenger comfort and services.

Alstom’s scope of work includes a complete overhaul and conversion of the cars, including concept and design, interior and industrial design engineering, mechanical, electrical and rail testing, as well as commissioning. Rebuilding and modernizing the cars extends their lifetimes by at least 10 years. In addition, by refurbishing, rebuilding and replacing interior and exterior railcar components, Rocky Mountaineer is adding more than 300 additional seats to its SilverLeaf Service capacity. The newly rebuilt cars also have new systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), as well as new flat and curved windows that give guests a 167% larger viewing area than before.

The work is being performed at Alstom’s western service centre located on Mare Island, Calif.