Sunday, January 18, 2026

VIA Ventures in Service, Part 5


Back in January, 2024 and with the delivery of the twelfth Siemens Venture set, I split my very first Siemens Venture post first published on September 21, 2021, spawning VIA Ventures in Service, Part 1. Then a subsequent Part 2, then Part 3 and Part 4. We're now splitting it again, resulting in this post - Part 5, because it's hard for you and me to find 'news' in a post buried back in August, 2025! VIA's Siemens implementation has so far spawned a blog-busting 26+ Trackside Treasure posts and counting!  Here are the Venture-centric posts:
VIA has been dealing with improved serviceability of the Ventures, a smoother implementation process. The genesis of Part 4 is now six months ago, and this post picks up the implementation in mid-January, 2026. This winter, VIA has faced some operational challenges and garnered some negative media coverage over HEP losses and resulting stranding and subsequent rescue of Venture sets. 

This will be a living post, with mid-January (and newer) operational updates (serviceability, Corridor rotation, incidents) added regularly and perhaps being book-ended when we finally, if ever, see complete implementation. On that note, the week this post was published saw 25 of VIA's Venture sets documented in service - a record high since I've been documenting the implementation of the 32-set fleet! Witness Venture Set 18 "Lumi" operating as VIA No 40 on January 16, 2026:
JANUARY 2025 UPDATES (continued from Part 4)

I've initiated a new way to document Venture sets' serviceability. My previous methodology involved giving each set a week's grace for not being observed in service, designating two-week absences as plausible NOT in operation (was shown as red squares). The problem was that I couldn't really prove that. What I can prove is a set being IN operation (now shown as 'V' for that week), based on first- or second-hand observations. Even though I had a six-week decrease in the number of observations (shown as grey shaded cells at bottom of table), I include those weeks in the table while acknowledging that decrease. Here's my most recent ten-week observations of Venture serviceability, begun the nominal week of November 10 (the dates are shown across the top row because Set 1 seems to reside at VIA's TMC. If it ever enters service, it will be a banner day!

Jan. 19 - Snow Day! Venture-equipped VIA Nos 62/52 operated separately, with No 62 Set18Lumi departing 90 minutes late, arriving Montreal 2 hours 42 minutes late and No 52 Set 31 departing (and arriving Montreal) 1 hour late. VIA No 45 kicks up snow squall powder (image courtesy Railstream, LLC):
Jan.22 - Venture-equipped Nos 62/52 operated separately, with No 62 Set 18Lumi on time and No 52 Set 8 separating before Guildwood and thereafter operating one hour late.

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2 comments:

  1. Joseph MathewsTuesday, January 20, 2026 at 2:56:00 PM EST

    Eric, first chance I have had to read your lastest post as I was up late last evening with Indiana's win over Miami for the college football national championship down here. I'm a fourth generation Hoosier and Indianapolis native. Now, back to the topic at hand. With Via using FP40PH-2 locomotives for HEP apparently on Ventures, Amtrak should pay attention as they are having the same issues with the their Chargers in cold areas. I don't what Siemens was thinking though I have to admit that while I have spent some winter months in Germany, the temperature do not approach the well below zero (C & F) that our nations face. This has to be a temporary solution, though. Both countries have paid millions of dollars (U.S. and "Loonies") and are faced with added expenses to keep the trains moving. Do you know if the Via contract has any claue for reimbersurement of said additional expenses due to design flaws? Again, kudos for yet another clear, concise post. Kudos also to P.M. Carney for his speech in Davos. Stay warm and hope the trains do as well.

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  2. EricTuesday, January 20, 2026 at 7:38:00 PM EST

    Hi Joseph,

    Go IU! Jane Pauley did an homage to her home state university on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend. Dave Letterman went to Ball State.

    The F40 tag-along experiment has not reoccurred. I don't have, though I have requested, a copy of the Siemens contract from VIA. So I don't know if such jury-rigged responses are covered or not. I do know they're not coveted, though!

    Carney used the word 'hegemon' which will be a head-scratcher to many. Standing ovation, though!

    Thanks for your comment,
    Eric

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