The federal government announces plans to invest about $1.9 billion to update Via Rail’s locomotive fleet and expand related infrastructure. According to the reports, Ottawa will spend $1.6 billion to replace 45 locomotives that are described as aging. The announcement is being made by Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon in Montreal. The funding also includes an additional $357 million to build a new assembly plant and maintenance facility for the locomotives. The outlets describe the combined investment as covering both the procurement of the new locomotives and the creation of facilities to support their assembly and upkeep. The reporting does not provide further details on the timeline for construction or delivery beyond noting the scale of the investment and the locations involved. Overall, the coverage agrees on the main figures—$1.6 billion for 45 replacement locomotives and $357 million for a new plant and maintenance facility—along with the minister and Montreal as the setting for the announcement.