CANADA: The first four of 10 custom-designed double-deck dome cars which high-end tourist train operator Rocky Mountaineer has ordered from Stadler are expected to enter service shortly, operating from Vancouver to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff during the 2019 tourist season.
Rocky Mountaineer said the order placed in May 2016 was the largest capital investment it had made. Three more cars are scheduled to arrive this year, and the final three in 2020, taking its fleet to 26 double-deck GoldLeaf coaches and 16 single-level SilverLeaf cars.
The 27 347 mm long, 5 520 mm high steel-bodied vehicles are being built by Stadler Pankow in Berlin. The panoramic windows on the upper level incorporate a suspended particle layer which can be dimmed to moderate the intensity of incoming sunlight.
Each coach has 72 custom-designed heated composite-leather seats, which recline without impinging on the passenger behind and can be rotated 180º.
The lower level has a galley with ovens and stovetops, electric grills and an eco-friendly dishwasher. One of the two toilets is wheelchair-accessible.
‘These new GoldLeaf rail cars will allow us to welcome even more guests on board our trains and offer increased availability across our most popular dates and routes’, said Rocky Mountaineer President & CEO Steve Sammut. The new vehicles would enable the operator to ‘offer the same exemplary guest comfort across the entire fleet, while also making numerous engineering enhancements behind the scenes that reflect our goal of constantly enhancing both the experience and efficiency of our service.’
