Bombardier has been awarded another 28-car contract from GO Transit.
CAW Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino said they were notified that the Thunder Bay plant would be building 26 of the regular coach cars as well as two accessible coach cars and two crash energy management cars.
While the frames for the CEM cars will be built in Mexico, the others will be produced here in Thunder Bay and Pasqualino said that is good news.
“They were talking about shutting down the classic line, but they’re keeping that going,” said Pasqualino.
“Hopefully, the customer will want more of the classic cars and we can build the frames here in Canada.”
Despite a brief layoff period before Christmas last year, Pasqualino said the plant is hiring now.
They’re looking for machinists, welders and electricians among other positions.
The future of the plant is looking good, said Pasqualino, adding they’re about halfway done their rocket car contract.
“Hopefully we can get more contracts for that,” he said. “That’s the big car that keeps most of the people employed here. The bi-levels are our bread and butter.”
The Toronto Transit Commission brought in drivers to train on the new streetcars Wednesday.
The streetcars are 30 per cent longer than the existing cars in Toronto and Pasqualino said they’re coming to Thunder Bay to test the new vehicles.
The $1.2 billion contract will see 204 new streetcars in Toronto to replace the current 248 cars purchased in the 1970s and 1980s.
