Renaissance (railcar)

Renaissance
Renaissance coaches on a Corridor train
A GE P42DC with ten Renaissance coaches laying over at the Via Toronto Maintenance Centre.
Interior of a Renaissance coach
Interior of a Renaissance coach.
In service 2002–present
Manufacturer Metro Cammell
Number built 139
Capacity 48 seats (coach, club cars)
48 seats (dining car)
10 double rooms (sleeping cars)
Operator(s) Via Rail
Specifications
Maximum speed 200 km/h (124 mph) [1]
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

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 the entire fleet, including many unfinished shells, for C$130 million. The cars entered Canadian service in 2002.

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.[2]:2–3[3]:129–130

Car types

Via acquired the entire original 139-car fleet; as designed it comprised 72 sleepers, 47 coaches, and 20 service cars.[4] Via rebuilt fifteen of the sleepers into dining and baggage cars.

TypeIn serviceFleet numbersNotesImage
Baggage car[5] 9 7000–7011 Built out of unused sleeping car shells.
Club car[1] 14 7100–7114 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration.
Coach[6] 33 7200–7232 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration.
Lounge car[7] 20 7300–7316; 7354–7359 Via Rail refers to these as "service" cars.
Dining car[8] 3 7400–7402 48-seat capacity; built out of unused sleeping car shells.
Sleeping car[9] 57 7500–7589 10 double bedrooms. 29 are stored at Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Baggage car/transition[10] 3 7600–7602

References

  1. 1 2 Via Rail. "Passenger cars - Renaissance Club car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  2. ↑ Vanhala, Lisa (2010). Making Rights a Reality?: Disability Rights Activists and Legal Mobilization. Cambridge University Press.
  3. ↑ Harrington, Candy (2010). Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers. ReadHowYouWant.com.
  4. ↑ Middleton, William D. (August 1, 2003). "VIA Rail's renaissance: "Renaissance" is the name VIA Rail Canada has given its new fleet of European-built passenger cars, but it applies equally well to the entire operation". Railway Age  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  5. ↑ Via Rail. "Baggage cars - Renaissance baggage car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  6. ↑ Via Rail. "Passenger cars - Renaissance Coach car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  7. ↑ Via Rail. "Service cars - Renaissance service car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  8. ↑ Via Rail. "Service cars - Renaissance dining car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  9. ↑ Via Rail. "Sleeping cars - Renaissance sleeping car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  10. ↑ Via Rail. "Baggage cars - Renaissance baggage transition car". Retrieved 2013-02-24.
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