Bombardier to deliver additional Lötschberger RegioExpress multiple units to BLS

BLS AG has placed an order with Bombardier Transportation, in consortium with Alstom Transport, to supply four additional Lötschberger multiple units. The contract is valued at 38 million CHF ($41 million US, 30 million euro), with Bombardier Transportation’s share amounting to 25 million CHF ($27 million US, 20 million euro). The order is an option to a contract signed in 2006, and brings the total number of Lötschberger trains ordered by BLS to 25. Deliveries are scheduled to take place between September and December 2012.

“We are happy that BLS has once again selected us as their supplier. This choice demonstrates the success of the Lötschberger fleet and the flexibility it offers to our customer,” stated Stéphane Wettstein, Chief Country Representative Switzerland, Bombardier Transportation.

The Bombardier Transportation site in Villeneuve has already produced 21 of the Lötschberger trains which are already in operation. Villeneuve is responsible for the design of this modern regional train, as well as for the production of the carbodies, the assembly, the commissioning and the delivery of the vehicles. The bogies are manufactured by Bombardier Transportation’s site in Siegen, Germany. Alstom Transport will supply the traction equipment and the passenger information system among other things.

The Lötschberger RegioExpress offers efficient and reliable regional transport for commuters and tourists travelling between Bern and the Simmental and through the Lötschberg to the Valais region.

With a length of 62.7m, and a mass of 106 tonnes, the Lötschberger trains provide overall capacity of 171 seats, with 143 in second class and 28 in first class, and can reach a maximum speed of 160 kph. The passenger areas, with air-conditioning and large panoramic windows, are also equipped with a passenger information system, which displays visual information on 14 screens.