CP opens locomotive 'super shop' in Toronto (1/19/2012)
1/19/2022Canadian Pacific recently completed improvements to its Locomotive Reliability Centre (LRC) in Toronto, marking the end of the second phase of a plan aimed at reducing the number of locomotive repair facilities from eight to four “super shops” featuring more enhanced repair capabilities.
The Toronto LRC joins similar centers in Calgary, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and St. Paul, Minn. The LRCs, which operate 24 hours every day of the week, can perform a variety of locomotive maintenance, including traction motors, wheels and heavy repairs, such as engine and turbo change outs.
Once all three phases of the plan are complete, CP plans to perform most scheduled and unscheduled locomotive repairs in the four super shops. The LRCs are geographically aligned with the Class I’s major transportation hubs to ensure a steady supply of highly reliable locomotives, CP officials said in a prepared statement.
"The upgraded, consolidated facilities, coupled with the introduction of a lean continuous-improvement approach, allows for standardized processes and practices, and enables improvements in locomotive availability and reliability,” said CP Executive Vice President of Operations Mike Franczak. “Additional benefits include reduced transit times to shops, quicker shop turn times and better quality repairs that drive a more consistent product to CP's customers at a lower cost to the railroad.”
CP also announced it renewed an agreement with Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. extending to early 2017 that provides the Class I with the vast majority of the shipper's domestic container traffic.
“Our railway has been serving Canadian Tire, one of our largest intermodal customers, for more than eight decades and we will continue to execute on our solid operating plan to foster growth opportunities for both companies," said Jane O'Hagan, CP’s chief marketing officer and EVP of marketing and sales.
Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News