Via Rail

Portugal-based software firm Siscog has secured a contract from Canadian passenger operator VIA Rail to provide timetabling and fleet management software as part of a programme to upgrade its operational planning and scheduling capabilities.

Siscog specialises in resource planning and management optimisation solutions for transportation companies.

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VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains that connect more than 400 communities across the country, transporting nearly four million passengers per annum.

The trains that run on the 12,500km rail network used by VIA Rail, going from the Atlantic to the Pacific across five time zones, will be optimised with Siscog’s solutions.

"This contract is an important milestone as it represents the sale of two new and integrated products to a new railway client."

The deal will see Siscog supply its Ontime decision support tool for creating and updating timetables, along with its fleet planning and management programme to deploy locomotives and rolling stock.

In addition to generating timetables and planning rolling stock operations, Siscog’s solution also creates special timetables and adjusts service for unexpected events.

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Both the timetable and fleet plan designs are based on the forecasted demand, network and vehicle availability, as well as VIA Rail’s own strategic goals.

Siscog CEO and founding partner João Pavão Martins said: "This contract is an important milestone as it represents the sale of two new and integrated products to a new railway client.

"It is with great enthusiasm that we embrace this new project with VIA Rail, considered by Canadians as a reliable national company."

As part of the deal, the systems will be fully operational later this year, allowing VIA Rail to closely monitor a number of key performance indicators, including fuel consumption and personnel requirements, as well as support demand modelling for the future service development.

Image: Siscog to provide timetabling and train fleet management software for Via Rail. Photo: courtesy of Siscog.

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