(The Canadian Press circulated the following on November 8.)
TORONTO — GO Transit plans to hire Montreal-based Bombardier to staff most of its trains, a move it says will improve service and help its trains run on time.
Under terms of a five-year contract, Bombardier will charge GO $23.9 million a year to provide crews for the trains.
GO officials say the deal — which goes to the GO board for approval on Friday — will save them millions of dollars, but wouldn’t say how much.
GO has blamed its problems on winter weather and on arrangements it had with CN Rail and Canadian Pacific Railway to operate its trains. The service was hit by labour strife last winter, after GO asked CN to reduce the number of crew members, which upset some workers and led to delays.
Bill Jenkins, GO’s director of customer service, said the deal will be better structured to satisfy commuters.
For example, he said, if a train cannot run because a crew member does not show up for work, Bombardier would have to pay a financial penalty.