Bombardier JV awarded contract for 40 high-speed trainsets in China

Mumbai, Nov 1 (UNI) Bombardier Transportation announced yesterday that its Chinese joint venture, Bombardier Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation (BSP), has received an order for 40, 16-car, high-speed trainsets (640 cars) from the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR).

According to a release issued here, the order is valued at approximately 1 billion Euros (USD 1.5 billion) with Bombardier's share valued at approximately 413 million Euros (USD 596 million US).

BSP is a joint venture between Bombardier Transportation, Power Corporation of Canada and China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation.

The contract was signed during yesterday's ceremony in the presence of MOR Deputy Chief Engineer Zhang Shuguang and Director General of Transportation Bureau and Bombardier Chairman and CEO Laurent Beaudoin.

It is the largest single order for rail passenger cars placed at one time in Chinese rail history.

The new electric-multiple-unit (EMU) trainsets will be capable of speed upto 250 km/h. Twenty of the EMU trains will be specially designed for overnight service and fitted with sleeping berth interiors.

Speaking on the occasion, Bombardier Transportation Mainline and Metros Division President Stephane Rambaud-Measson said, ''This order is clear recognition of the high level of reliability reached by Bombardier as well as of our ability to efficiently manage a complex localisation project in a new and very demanding market. All Chinese Bombardier high-speed trains are manufactured at our joint venture in Qingdao with very high levels of contribution from the local rail industry and its expertise.'' Bombardier China President and Chief Country Representative Jianwei Zhang said, ''We offer one of the broadest product portfolios in the world and that is apparent in the spread of contracts we have for high-speed trains, locomotives, propulsion equipment, commuter trains, automated transit systems, metro cars, signalling systems and other products. This is a priority market, and our focus here is towards showing results.'' The new high-speed EMU trains will be manufactured at BSP production facilities in Qingdao, China. First deliveries of the new trains are scheduled for February, 2009. Delivery of the final train is expected in August 2010, the release added.

UNI