At least nine locomotives from Switzerland’s Stadler are to come from a Spanish factory but up to 36 could be finished in a $357-million assembly and maintenance facility in Montreal, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced. The train engines will be hybrids—mainly diesel but with an assist from batteries, akin to a hybrid car—specially designed for cold Canadian winters, Stadler’s Miguel Cerdá said in a news conference. (The Logic)

Talking point: Most of Via’s 74 passenger locomotives date to the 1980s, with late-2000s overhauls to extend their lives. The first of the new models is to go into service in early 2029. Meanwhile, MacKinnon said the Alto plan for high-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City is continuing despite a new frostiness from Ontario after MacKinnon last week stopped the Ford government’s plan to expand Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport. Alto is popular and will benefit people across both provinces, he said.