CALGARY, Alta. — Third party maintenance provider Alstom has assumed responsibility for the management and operation of Canadian Pacific Rail’s (CPR) largest maintenance facility, Ogden Shops.

The transfer gives Alstom a western North American base from which to enhance its position in overhaul of rail equipment, and acording to the rail giant, enables CPR to further reduce expenses by increasing utilization of repair facilities.

“The skills and competencies CPR brings to the table are a perfect complement to our current offering in North America,” says Hamdi Conger, senior vice-president of Alstom Transport, Service. “We’re now in an excellent position to offer customers overhaul services for freight cars, locomotives and components in addition to our existing locomotive re-manufacturing, new freight car manufacturing and transit car rebuilding services located in Montreal and New York State. We expect to move forward quickly in developing new sources of business from our new base.”

Dirk van-der-Weeen has been appointed general manager of the Ogden shops and 35 former CPR supervisors have become ALSTOM employees. They will manage approximately 500 unionized shop workers who will remain employees of CPR.