Renaissance (railcar)
{{Short description|Canadian rolling stock}}
{{Infobox train
| background =
| name = Renaissance
| image = VIA Rail Renaissance in Toronto.jpg
| imagesize = 300px
| imagealt = Renaissance coaches on a Corridor train
| caption = A GE P42DC with ten Renaissance coaches laying over at the Via Toronto Maintenance Centre.
| interiorimage = Interior of VIA Rail Canada Renaissance Cars (formerly Nightstar).jpg
| interiorimagealt = Interior of a Renaissance coach
| interiorcaption = Interior of a Renaissance coach.
| service = 2002–present
| manufacturer = Metro-Cammell
| factory = Washwood Heath
| family =
| replaced =
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| numberconstruction=
| numberbuilt = 139
| numberservice =
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| fleetnumbers =
| capacity = 48 seats (coach, club cars)
48 seats (dining car)
10 double rooms (sleeping cars)
| operator = Via Rail
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| maxspeed = {{convert|200|kph|mph|0|abbr=on}} {{cite web | url=http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/our-fleet/renaissance-club-car | title=Passenger cars - Renaissance Club car | accessdate=2013-02-24 | author=Via Rail | author-link=Via Rail }}
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| gauge = {{railgauge|ussg}}
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}}
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 an initial three carriages for trials.Three Alstom Nightstar coaches shipped to Canada Rail issue 385 June 14, 2000 In December 2000, the remaining 136 carriages were acquired, entering service in June 2002.Britain says Goodnight to all 139 unused Nightstars Rail issue 400 January 10, 2001 page 9Canadians to buy all 139 Nightstars The Railway Magazine issue 1198 February 2001 page 14Night stock enters service at last Railway Gazette International August 2002 page 412
On May 26th, 2024 Via Rail officially retired the renaissance cars from services on the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor. The cars will remain in revenue service on long-distance routes until a suitable replacement is found which is not expected until at least the early 2030s.
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.{{cite book | title=Making Rights a Reality?: Disability Rights Activists and Legal Mobilization | first=Lisa | last=Vanhala | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QkE6uYpoQGAC | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2010| isbn=9781139497121 }}{{rp|2–3}}{{cite book | title=Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers | first=Candy | last=Harrington | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxYfsx-APw8C | publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com | year=2010| isbn=9781458758750 }}{{rp|129–130}}
Car types
Via acquired the entire original 139-car fleet; as designed it comprised 72 sleepers, 47 coaches, and 20 service cars.{{cite web|title=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|first=William D. | last=Middleton|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-108114496.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309033908/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-108114496.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 9, 2016|publisher=Railway Age |accessdate=2013-02-24|date=August 1, 2003}} Via rebuilt fifteen of the sleepers into dining and baggage cars. Thirty-three carriages never entered service, remaining in store at Thunder Bay.Tragic End for Nightstar Stock Rail Express issue 247 December 2016 page 3
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Renaissance passenger cars}}
{{Via Rail rolling stock}}
Category:Railway coaches of Canada