The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, July 30, edition that Ottawa plans to spend $1.6-billion to replace 45 aging Via Rail locomotives and invest $357-million in a new Canadian assembly and maintenance facility. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the project in Montreal, saying that locomotives will be built by Switzerland-based Stadler Rail. The first nine will be constructed in Spain, with the remaining 36 made in Canada after local workers receive training. The locomotives are expected to be the first hybrid trains in North America. Via Rail chief executive officer Mathieu Paquette said: "An aging fleet comes with challenges. Today's announcement gives us the tools we need to do better by our passengers. ... The new hybrid locomotive offers us better performance, reliability and will allow us to reduce our emissions and fuel use." The trains will replace Via Rail's fleet across the country, except for the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, where the federal government is planning the Alto high-speed rail line. The trains along that corridor were replaced in 2018. Mr. MacKinnon said the new equipment will improve Via's reliability.