Bombardier, partner land $31.4M U.K. order for 10 light rail vehicles
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Option part of deal signed with transit system in 2007 for 94 vehicles from Bombardier, Vossloh Kiepe
MANCHESTER, U.K.—A consortium led by Bombardier Transportation has signed options to build 10 additional light rail vehicles for Manchester’s transit system for $31.4-million.
The rail division of Montreal-based Bombardier said it signed the deal together with consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe to supply 10 additional Bombardier Flexity Swift LRVs to Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink system.
According to Bombardier, the option is part of a contract signed with the transit system in 2007 for 94 vehicles.
The option brings the total number of LRVs ordered to 104.
Bombardier’s share of the option agreement is roughly $24.4-million.
The two firms have delivered 77 vehicles to Manchester to date.
“The new Flexity M5000 vehicles are now a familiar sight across Greater Manchester, with nearly 70,000 journeys a day made on the Metrolink network,” Metrolink director Peter Cushing said in a statement.
“The vehicles are helping us deliver greater capacity and a much more reliable journey, with lighter, brighter and more spacious interiors giving extra room for passengers.
“We look forward to completely replacing our tram fleet with this model during 2014.”
Bombardier designs and manufactures the vehicles at its sites in Bautzen, Germany, and Vienna, Austria, with its Siegen plant in Germany responsible for delivering the bogies.
Consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe provides the electrical equipment.
The first LRV from the new batch will be delivered in March 2015.
