Bombardier bullish on Indian high-speed rail project

The NDA Government’s dream railway project – Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project – has evoked positive response from the Canadian aerospace and transportation company, Bombardier Transportation. The company has said that it is bullish about the upcoming high speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, according to a Business Standard report. “Bombardier is one of the global leaders for high speed and very high speed trains with over 900 trains delivered worldwide. Our Zefiro high-speed trains are energy efficient with high capacity and smart interiors. Once the tender details are finalised, we would be very keen to participate and bring our high-speed train technology to India,” said Daniel Daigle, Vice President, Human Resources, Asia Pacific, Bombardier Transportation. He added that Bombardier has been following the developments of Ahmedabad Metro and that it will evaluate bidding for the project once tender specifications are issued.
 
The company stated that in the wake of the new government allowing 100 per cent FDI in Railways, it was open to more investments and increasing employee base locally subject to winning the projects it is currently pursuing for India.
 
"For a company like Bombardier, which has been investing in India for the last five decades, it gives us an impetus to invest more towards transforming the rail transportation in India. We are interested in various rail projects in India and hoping to embark on a journey together with the new government to bring world-class rail infrastructure," Daigle added.
 
Meanwhile, the Canadian firm is reportedly looking at developing its Savli facility, Gujarat, as an export hub. In recent times, the company has bagged several orders from various parts of the world including Brazil and Australia. Substantial portion of its $2.7 billion order book is expected to be executed at its Savli and Maneja facilities near Vadodara.
 
“QNGR is one of the largest projects for Bombardier Transportation globally and Savli site will manufacture 450 commuter cars along with its bogies. Substantial portion of $ 2.7 billion for Bombardier Transportation will be executed at its Indian sites in Savli and Maneja, both near Vadodara,” said Daigle.
 
Having made one of its most important and strategic investments of Rs 230 crore in Savli site near Vadodara, Bombardier Transportation is developing it with an intention to promote export oriented activities. “As the site was built with the intention to develop export-oriented activities also, Bombardier keep evaluating prospects for exporting metro cars and bogies to Asia Pacific, Europe and North America,” said Daigle.
 
Post delivering more than 600 metro cars to Delhi metro, Savli site received its first export order in June 2012 only three years after commencing commercial production, to supply bogie components for Adelaide EMUs to Bombardier Transportation Australia. Subsequently, the Savli site also started exporting bogie components for commuter trains in Victoria to Bombardier Transportation Australia.  In its third export order, it is exporting 521 bogie frames to Bombardier Transportation Brazil for Sao Paulo monorail.
 
FOR COMPLETE REPORT READ: Bombardier to develop Savli facility as export hub