Bombardier Transportation announced that it will supply 210 double-deck commuter train cars for line A of the RER, the Greater Paris commuter network. The new order is an option under a contract signed in April 2009 for a firm order of 60 MI09 trains. The public transportation upgrade is led and co-financed by STIF and RATP.
The order is valued at a total of approximately 1 billion euro ($1.3 billion). As a consortium member responsible for one third of the order, Bombardier's share will amount to approximately 336 million euro ($417 million). Deliveries will take place between 2014 and the end of 2016. The new vehicles will improve passenger comfort, capacity and performance on line A of the RER.
Bombardier will deliver each five-car train set's three intermediate cars. It will design and fully assemble the cars at its manufacturing site in Crespin. Bombardier's site in northern France is the country's leading industrial rail site employing about 2,000 people, including 500 engineers and technicians.
The consortium has designed the trains based on its MI2N trains, which it delivered for the same line between 1990 and 2000. The inauguration of the first MI09 trains on the line took place in December 2011.
Jean Berge, president, Bombardier Transport France said, "Congestion is a challenge for all major cities around the world, including Paris. We are pleased to offer sustainable transport solutions for the future such as the MI09 trains, which we have developed together with Alstom and the RATP. The 200 Bombardier employees who are working on the project are highly motivated to deliver high quality rail cars on time."
