Bombardier Transportation announced recently that Metrolinx, the Province of Ontario's regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), had exercised options for the purchase of an additional 125 next-generation Bombardier BiLevel commuter rail cars for service with GO Transit in Toronto. The order was valued at $328 million. Production is scheduled to start in Thunder Bay in Q2, 2018 and final delivery is expected in Q1, 2020.
"Bombardier is Thunder Bay's largest private sector employer. This investment, the latest in a long series of investments by our government in mass transit will help ensure that a significant workforce remains at Bombardier contributing greatly to the economy of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario," said Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan.
"This is exciting news for Bombardier and our region," said Michael Gravelle, MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. "Investments like this, will create jobs and keep people right here in Thunder Bay working and our community strong for years to come."
The BiLevel coach is the most popular double-deck commuter rail car in North America with over 1,300 currently in operation, or on order with, transit authorities in 14 metropolitan regions across Canada and the United States. These newest generation cars feature upgrades to door and air conditioning systems, increases in energy efficiency, and enhancements to amenities that make the passenger experience even better. This order for additional BiLevel cars will support GO Transit's overall service expansion plan to meet ridership growth.
Every day, close to 1.5 million Ontarians rely on Bombardier rail vehicles to make their daily commute on the Toronto subway, streetcar systems or GO Transit commuter trains. To help rail transit agencies maximize the utilization of their assets, Bombardier provides a full range of products and services for the entire lifecycle of train operations and ensures substantial investments in advanced engineering, research and development and technology testing. In GTHA, Bombardier maintains and operates GO Transit's commuter train fleet, the largest commuter rail system in Canada.
"We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Ontario", said Benoît Brossoit, president, Bombardier Transportation, Americas region. "By providing industry-leading performance with our rail vehicles and services, Bombardier has been an ally in the development of public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for over 20 years. Today, with our manufacturing sites and thousands of local employees, our commitment to Ontario remains as strong as ever."
