Bombardier’s joint venture wins contract to supply China with 40 trains

Bombardier Transportation’s Chinese joint venture Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. (BST) has been awarded a contract from China Railway Corp. (CRC) to supply 40 CRH1A-A new generation high speed train cars to the Nanning Railway Bureau.

The contract, valued at around 543 million Chinese RMBs (€73 million), is for five eight-car trainsets that will become part of the ongoing integration of Guangxi’s regional high-speed railways into the national high-speed network.

“Our cutting edge rail technology is one of the driving forces behind the rapid development of China’s advanced high speed train network,” said Jianwei Zhang, President of Bombardier China. “We have already provided over 3,000 high speed train cars to the Chinese market and this latest contract is further proof of our ability to consistently leverage our expertise and experience to contribute to the development of local antd national economies in regions like Guangxi.”

Guangxi is an important area for tourism and trade and is a vital link with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The high speed trains will help integrate Guangxi into the national network, connecting the region to neighbouring cities and boosting the local economy while improving passengers’ travel experience.

With an operational speed of 250km/hr, the CRH1A-A also boasts an aluminium car body design that improves performance and lower operating costs due to reduced weight, track wear and aerodynamic drag. It is notable in terms of energy efficiency, setting new industry standards for sustainable transportation and passenger comfort, and is unique in its appearance, with innovative graphics, windows, lighting and shape.

The trainsets are manufactured at Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation production facilities in Qingdao, China and feature the Bombardier MITRAC propulsion and control system, supplied by a separate Bombardier Chinese joint venture, Bombardier CPC Propulsion System Co. Ltd. (BCP).

From vehicles and propulsion to services and design, Bombardier Transportation in China has six joint ventures, seven foreign-owned enterprises, and over 6,000 employees. Together, the joint ventures have delivered more than 3,500 railway passenger cars, 580 electric locomotives and over 2,000 metro cars to China’s growing urban mass transit markets.