Bombardier takes the A train

Vermont Business Magazine, Jun 01, 1996 by Hentcy, Kathleen

For those who think train travel in the US is shuddering to a halt, growth of the US operations of Bombardier Inc. might suggest otherwise.

Not only has the Montreal-based Bombardier recently completed a new plant in Plattsburgh, NY, but the company last month landed a $611 million contract to build high-speed train cars for AMTRAK.

"These are for the new AMTRAK high speed train between Washington (DC), New York and Boston," said Bombardier's Aubert Roy.

Roy, general manager in the company's Barre office, called AMTRAK's planned new high speed service a "nice opportunity for the US market for building high speed trains."

The deal, which Bombardier put together with a French train-car manufacturer, GEC Alsthom, calls for construction of 108 coaches and 15 locomotives. The contract will take up to four years to complete, and require approximately 300 workers at the Barre plant. Roy said the company plans to re-employ some 50 Bombardier employees in the Barre area who have recently been laid-off.

Workers at the Barre plant are presently completing work on a contract for 80 train cars for the state of New Jersey and another AMTRAK contract for 195 superliner cars. Those contracts should be complete by next April and the end of 1996, respectively.

According to Roy, Bombardier is growing and winning such contracts as the latest AMTRAK deal because of the company's "great experience" in the business.

"AMTRAK has worked in the past with Bombardier two or three times, and we have very good relations with AMTRAK," Roy said. "AMTRAK has great confidence in Bombardier."

Clearly, however, Bombardier has also exhibited flexibility and innovation to compete in newly developing markets. For example, Bombardier joined with GEC Alsthom for the first time for the high speed train contract, because of GEC Alsthom's experience building France's high speed trains.

The combination may have been the critical piece that allowed the consortium to beat out "two other leading transportation equipment manufacturers." The winning bidder, among other criteria, had to be able to construct trains that could travel at 150 mph, Roy said.

Bombardier brought to the consortium its "tilt technology," which allows trains to safely round corners at high speeds, and its experience in building steel trains cars. GEC Alsthom brought its experience building high speed trains.

The French company will design and build the car undercarriages, as well as the auxiliary electrical systems. Of the 108 high speed coaches, 54 will be coaches, 36 will be end coaches, and 18 will be bistro cars.

Roy said the shells of the passenger cars will be built at Bombardier's La Pocatiere, Quebec, plant, and they will be finished at the Barre plant.

For the locomotives, construction in Quebec and final assembly will take place at the new plant in Plattsburg, Bombardier will also complete final integration of all the trainsets.

Work on the high speed cars will begin in Barre in the end of November or beginning of December of 1997, according to Roy. Bombardier is a Canadian corporation based in Montreal that designs, develops, manufactures and markets transportation equipment, including trains and civil and military aerospace equipment. The company markets its trains and other products on five continents, although most of its business is concentrated in North America and Europe, according to a statement from the company.

Bombardier operates plants in Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the US (in Barre, Vermont and Plattsburgh, NY, for example) and Canada. Bombardier employs a total of 40.000 people worldwide.

Kathleen Hentcy is a freelance writer from Wolcott.