Comments on: Here’s a treat for VIA passenger car fans: all 33 of the unused Nightstar passenger car shells, that never joined VIA’s Renaissance fleet, stored in Thunder Bay on various tracks around Keefer Terminal. Most are visible in small groups stored on the various tracks (I count 29), but 4 are hiding behind one of the warehouses on the upper right. Some maintenance of way equipment is also visible scattered here and there. A total of 139 cars built for the proposed-but-not-realized UK “Nightstar” overnight service through the Channel Tunnel were acquired by VIA Rail in 2000, after being built and stored for a number of years. As I understand it, there was some political pressure to purchase these cars for a song, but there were a number of compatibility issues between them and North American rail standards. They were sent to Thunder Bay where 106 were modified by Bombardier into various types of cars to operate in VIA service as their “Renaissance” fleet. The 33 remaining shells were stored here at Keefer Terminal near the Bombardier plant for possible future conversion, but no further cars were ever needed or rebuilt. The stored cars languished here until they were removed from Keefer terminal a year later in August 2008, lifted from their trucks, and then stored in a field nearby. All were then cut up for scrap.

By: Ian Malenfant-Picard

Ian Malenfant-Picard — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:29:59 +0000

Very interesting!

By: Eric May

Eric May — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:55:02 +0000

The August 2009;Google Street view show’s the shells off their trucks stored in a compound beside the closest track in this photo.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:20:31 +0000

Yes, and they kept their European style couplers too (except for baggage cars that had one standard North American coupler added, and on a handful of “transition” cars). I think they also have a dummy coupler that can be installed on the rear car if needed.

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:05:44 +0000

Did they also come with the European style coupler?

By: Todd Steinman

Todd Steinman — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:16:55 +0000

Great photo and history about these cars Dan! I was in Thunder Bay in Aug. 2016, and saw the field of them – took photos, but will have to look back through and see if I can post (quality of, since it was near night time), and to cross reference your story.