Bombardier Will Supply Additional Cobra Trams to Zurich
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--OCTOBER 1, 2003 - 09:47 ET
Bombardier Transportation and its consortium
partner Alstom will supply a further 68 Cobra trams to
Verkehrsbetriebe Zurich, the transport authority of the city of
Zurich. Following the thorough testing of six preproduction trial
vehicles delivered in 2001, the Zurich Cobra fleet will thus
encompass 74 vehicles. The new order for 68 trams is valued at
approximately $239 million Cdn (233 million Swiss Francs), and
Bombardier's share of the contract amounts to some $194 million
Cdn (190 million Swiss Francs). The vehicles are scheduled for
delivery as of mid-2005.
As the leading partner in the consortium, Bombardier
Transportation is responsible for the carbody, propulsion system,
assembly and commissioning of the vehicles, with Alstom supplying
the running gear and brake system.
Commenting on the new order, Thomas Portmann, Director of
Verkehrsbetriebe Zurich, stated: "The Cobra is and will remain
our first choice. It is technically and visually attractive, and
the passengers are delighted."
"The Cobra vehicles are further proof of the strengths of
Bombardier," said Walter Grawenhoff, President, Light Rail
Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation. "We once again meet our
customer's challenges with creative technical concepts and
tailor-made solutions, as we recently did for the city of Geneva.
This is clearly the best way to broaden our position as one of
the world's leading tram suppliers."
The five-car articulated, end-to-end low-floor tram has been
developed to comply with the requirements specified by the
customer for the city of Zurich. Due to the specific local
circumstances, the length of the vehicles may not exceed 37
meters. In order to provide a high passenger carrying capacity
despite this limitation, the carbody width has been extended 20
centimetres compared with the trams currently operating in
Zurich. Seven wide doors with a passenger boarding height of just
35 centimetres allow rapid boarding and alighting.
Large-area windows, modern passenger information systems and the
spacious interior of the vehicles will turn tram travel in Zurich
in future into an exciting experience. The pioneering crash
concept with absorbers at the front end will increase passive
safety for both passengers and other road users.
Running gear with wheel pairs radially steered via the car
articulation units significantly reduces rail and wheel wear. The
trams are also equipped with state-of-the-art IGBT power
converter technology from the Bombardier(i) MITRAC(i) product
family, which, like the traction motors, incorporates
environment-friendly water cooling.
Bombardier Transportation is the global leader in the rail
equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its wide range of
products includes passenger rail cars and total transit systems.
It also manufactures locomotives, freight cars, propulsion &
controls and provides rail control solutions.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and services
company, is a world-leading manufacturer of business jets,
regional aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized
recreational products. It also provides financial services and
asset management in business areas aligned with its core
expertise. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, the Corporation has
a workforce of some 75,000 people and manufacturing facilities in
25 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2003 stood at
$23.7 billion Cdn. (15.8 billion euros). Bombardier shares are
traded on the Toronto, Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges
(BBD, BOM and BBDd.F).
(i) Trademark(s) of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries |
