Bombardier wins new order from Transport for London
Posted: 7 May 2013 | | 1 comment
Contract signed to provide 57 additional BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR rail cars for the London Overground network…
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation announced today that it has signed a contract with Transport for London (TfL) to provide 57 additional BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR rail cars for the London Overground network. The order is part of Transport for London’s programme to increase passenger capacity on the successful London Overground network – the 57 new cars will be used to turn existing four-car trains into five-car versions. The new units will be supported under an existing maintenance contract.
The order is valued at approximately £88 million GBP (105 million euro, $137 million US).
Delivery of the 57 new ELECTROSTAR Class 378 cars will start in late 2014 and finish in 2015. They will be built at Bombardier’s facility in Derby. The 75 mph Class 378 units are specially designed for suburban operations with passenger comfort and safety in mind. Walk-through carriages provide more standing room and space for passengers, reflecting the type of short trips most passengers make on the network. The vehicles also include CCTV and air conditioning. The 378s are part of the proven and highly reliable ELECTROSTAR family of Electrical Multiple Units which are in daily passenger service with other UK train operators, including c2c, Southeastern, Stansted Express, and Southern Railways. The prestigious Gautrain railway in Johannesburg, South Africa, also operates ELECTROSTAR trains.
Des McKeon, Commercial Director UK, Bombardier Transportation said: “This contract underlines the strength of the long-standing relationship between Bombardier and Transport for London. Bombardier is playing an important role helping TfL deliver increased capacity on the network. As well as delivering new, reliable trains we are improving availability and reliability together with the operator through our fleet maintenance offering. Bombardier helps keep thousands of passengers moving in London and across the UK every day.”
Bombardier Transportation supports its customers to minimize operational costs and maximize revenue generation over their assets’ whole lifetime, while ensuring the highest levels of passenger safety and comfort. It offers services and support to fit each customer’s exact requirements, including full train maintenance, materials and logistics programmes, modernisation, re-engineering and overhaul of vehicles and components.
Bombardier proved its global expertise during the London 2012 Olympics, when maintenance teams and support functions worked around the clock to ensure that more than 800 Bombardier trains on nine key routes serving London were able to meet the increased demand. Supported by Bombardier teams, London Overground played a key role in transporting visitors to the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Bombardier is at the forefront of developing cost-effective solutions to move more people and goods than ever before efficiently within and between cities. In order to sustain global economic growth while ensuring the health and quality of life of citizens, cities the world over are looking for smarter and more environmentally friendly forms of mass transit compared to individual car transportation. Bombardier’s globally proven portfolio of vehicles and solutions is delivering a future of interconnected mobility that is both sustainable and convenient for customers and passengers.
About Bombardier Transportation in the UK
Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. With over 3,200 people employed at eight Bombardier sites and 31 customer locations across the UK, Bombardier has delivered, or has on order, more than 60 per cent of the UK’s existing fleet and currently maintains around 40 per cent of the UK’s rolling stock. Bombardier has over 50 years’ experience in providing the latest signalling technology to the UK rail network.
Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.
I think I am correct in assuming that Bombardier at Derby is merely an assembly plant for components acquired from elsewhere. Most large components appear to be imported (e.g. bogies/wheelsets from Germany, bodyshell extrusions from Italy or Germany and traction packages from Sweden) and other items come from UK third-party suppliers, which includes UK arms of European multinationals. Whilst we are told that Bombardier UK has 3200 employees, it would be enlightening to know how many are employed in skilled manufacturing (as opposed to assembling and repairing) and what items they actually make for both the UK market and for export.