Bombardier awarded $114 million

announced today that it has won an order from Portugal's Metro do Porto for the delivery of 30 bi-directional Bombardier FLEXITY Swift low-floor light rail trains. The vehicles will be built with consortium partners, including Vossloh-Kiepe, for Porto’s 60km Light Rail Transit system.

The overall contract is valued at approximately $148 million, with Bombardier’s share amounting to $114 million.

Deliveries of the vehicles are scheduled to take place between 2008 and 2009. Bombardier will also be responsible for the maintenance of the 30 vehicle fleet during a five-year period.

With top speeds of 100km/h the Bombardier FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles will reduce travel time from the neighbouring cities to the centre of Porto. The new 37.1 metre long vehicles have seating for 100 passengers, 20 more than the current vehicles, are equipped with air conditioning and have wheel-chair and bicycle areas.

The first phase of Metro do Porto’s new Light Rail Transit system was awarded in 1998 by Metro do Porto to the Normetro consortium, for the construction of four lines, 60 kilometres of track, 15 underground stations, 63 surface stations and 72 Bombardier FLEXITY Outlook vehicles.

In addition to the vehicles, Bombardier was also responsible for delivering its Cityflo 250 traffic management system, the traffic control room and the design and equipment for the maintenance depot.

The first phase is now fully operational and a new line connecting to the airport as also been opened. The system, which is said to have achieved a 94% punctuality ratio, carries an average of almost 150,000 passengers a day.