Bombardier bags fleet operations contract for Toronto rail system

New Delhi, Nov 12 (UNI) Bombardier Transportation, the world's leading transport solutions provider, announced today it had received a contract to supply fleet operations services for the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GO Transit) commuter rail system serving the city of Toronto and surrounding regions.

The five-year contract, valued at an estimated 95 million euros (140 million US dollars), includes options for up to 15 additional years.

If GO Transit exercises all available options, the contract could reach an estimated value of 353 million euros (519 million dollars).

Under the contract, Bombardier will be responsible for train operations as well as management of train crews on six of GO Transit's seven commuter rail lines. It is scheduled to assume train operations in June 2008 and will begin preparations for the transition immediately.

GO Transit oversees one of the premier urban public transit systems in North America, carrying approximately 49 million passengers each year on bus and commuter rail services. Its rail transit system moves an estimated 165,000 passengers each weekday via 181 trains, seven lines, 57 stations and rail routes totalling more than 360 km.

A Bombardier official said, ''this is one of the most vibrant commuter rail operators in the Americas and a very important customer for our rapidly growing rail services business.'' The Berlin-based Bombardier has provided maintenance services to GO Transit's fleet of coaches and locomotives for more than a decade. It also supplied more than 400 BiLevel commuter rail coaches that make up the transit authority's commuter rail fleet.

''Our number one commitment is to manage a smooth transition and see that the thousands of commuters who rely on GO Transit each day get to their destinations safely and on time,'' the official said.

In the Americas, Bombardier's rail services business provides fleet maintenance and operations services for commuter rail systems in Los Angeles, Boston, New Jersey, Ottawa, Miami, San Diego and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In India, the company has made a bid for supplying 400 electrical multiple units (EMUs) to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for its phase-II operations.

UNI