Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation is opening a window to the future of public transport at the InnoTrans 2012 rail trade show, in Berlin, Germany. Under the theme ‘The Evolution of Mobility’, visitors can experience Bombardier’s integrated and sustainable smart transport solutions for an increasingly mobile and congested world.

This year’s InnoTrans, from September 18 to 23, features 20 game-changing innovations that Bombardier is introducing in its latest key projects around the world. Its order backlog is the largest in the global railway industry, totaling $31.9 billion US (24.6 billion euro) at the end of 2011. This success is built on answering the 21st century’s demands for sustainable transport, high speed journeys, urban flow and passenger comfort.

“Innovation is part of our DNA at Bombardier,” said André Navarri, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Transportation. “More than 6,000 highly qualified engineers operating in all key markets combine global experience with local knowledge to deliver tomorrow’s way to travel today. As the century progresses, public transport will need to move more people than ever before smoothly in and between urban centres to help boost global economic growth. Time-efficient travel ranging from fast commuter services to very high speed intercity trains and the inter-connectivity or ‘urban flow’ of different modes of transportation are vital to creating smart cities that offer seamless public transport. We must also continue to offer comfortable, flexible and well-designed vehicles in order to encourage more people to support a global shift from individual car use to rail and other forms of electric mobility.”

Navarri added: “We envision a future of interconnected mobility with rail as the backbone of national transportation infrastructure. Our products and solutions respond to operators’ and governments’ needs to maximize capacity and flexibility, to upgrade existing networks efficiently and to increase interoperability across regional and international borders. This will help mature markets and emerging economies to fulfill their economic potential.”

According to the European rail industry association UNIFE, the global railway industry is showing positive signs in many segments for the coming years. In Europe, the market for regional trains is expected to total more than 13 billion euro per year from 2015 to 2017. Forecasts for North America show average annual orders of more than 4 billion euro worth of light rail metros and intercity trains during the same period. In the world’s developing economies, booming demand in urban centres and freight transportation is expected to drive a market growth of 7.5 per cent per year for both metros and locomotives until 2016.

Visitors to InnoTrans can experience Bombardier’s innovations for sustainable transport both in terms of its environmental and economic impact. These include the comfortable and stylish BOMBARDIER FLEXITY 2 low-floor tram for clean and elegant city centres, the energy efficient BOMBARDIER TRAXX F140 AC locomotive with Last Mile feature and TRAXX P160 DE Multi-Engine locomotive for freight and passenger transportation, as well as the emission-free BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE e-mobility solution for all types of electric vehicles. Also on show are the small, lightweight and energy efficient BOMBARDIER MITRAC permanent magnet motors already being fitted to rail vehicles for France, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, as well as Bombardier’s services portfolio for support throughout the product lifecycle.

Examples of how Bombardier is enhancing passengers’ high speed journey include a full-scale mock-up of the V300ZEFIRO very high speed train for Italy with its next generation BOMBARDIER FLEXX Speed bogies. The new train ensures top travel times even on winding routes thanks to its exceptional acceleration. It is part of the globally acclaimed BOMBARDIER ZEFIRO family of high speed trains that can transport up to twice as many passengers as the world’s largest aircraft at speeds of up to 380 km/h. Another high speed innovation featured by Bombardier is the FLEXX Tronic WAKO system developed for the BOMBARDIER TWINDEXX double-deck intercity trains in Switzerland. It allows the trains to travel through curves up to 15 per cent faster than with conventional bogies.

State-of-the-art rail control solutions from Bombardier boost urban flow by allowing operators to reduce the constraints of their existing rail networks. By safely optimising the headways between vehicles, the BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 650 communications-based train control system cost-effectively ramps up mass transit capacity. It can be installed without interrupting service. The versatile BOMBARDIER INNOVIA driverless systems for urban centres and airports integrate seamlessly into their environment and use minimum space.

Bombardier is highlighting new standards in passenger comfort based on space and ease of movement with the BOMBARDIER SPACIUM, BOMBARDIER OMNEO and BR 430 trains for regional and commuter services. For longer distances, the ZEFIRO trains set a new benchmark in passenger comfort. They offer not only superior aerodynamic performance and speed, but also reduced noise, increased safety and an innovative design. The groundbreaking ZEFIRO 380 train design has already received two prestigious awards – the German iF Product Design Award as well as the 2011 Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

Key to the smooth ride and efficiency of Bombardier’s vehicles is the FLEXX bogies portfolio, which is the most comprehensive in the world. Every day, more than 200,000 FLEXX bogies operating around the globe travel a combined distance equivalent to 130 return trips from the Earth to the moon under a variety of challenging conditions, ranging from Scandinavian winters to the Saudi Arabian desert and reaching altitudes of more than 5,000 m near the roof of the world in China.

Market growth in North America strengthens outlook for the future
In North America, Bombardier Transportation has secured a record order backlog of 5.1 billion euro ($6.5 billion US). Over the past two years, Bombardier has won orders and had options exercised for a total of 1,478 metro cars for the cities of Montréal, Chicago, New York and San Francisco; 182 FLEXITY light rail vehicles and 135 BOMBARDIER BiLevel commuter cars for Toronto; and 154 MultiLevel rail cars for Maryland and New Jersey. The company also signed a 10-year maintenance services contract for the INNOVIA APM system at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and a 10-year operation and maintenance services contract and capital asset upgrade programme for the INNOVIA Monorail system at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Raymond Bachant, President, Bombardier Transportation North America, said: “Innovation, engineering excellence and a well-distributed network of manufacturing sites have underpinned our success in this important region. We have proved that Bombardier has the answers to meet the growing demand for efficient and competitive rail systems in the North American market.”

Across North America, Bombardier has established a network of manufacturing, engineering, services and business centre sites and employs close to 7,000 people. Its strategic production footprint consists of sites in La Pocatière, Kingston and Thunder Bay (Canada), Plattsburgh and Pittsburgh (USA) and Sahagun (Mexico).

Record-breaking performance keeps London moving during the Olympics
Bombardier will provide visitors to InnoTrans with an insider’s view on how it supported the transit system of the UK capital during the successful 2012 Summer Olympics. While the competitors broke records at the sporting venues, London’s transport system broke records of its own to ensure spectators could travel to and from the events quickly and safely during the festive fortnight. London Underground alone carried over 60 million passengers – more passengers than at any time in its 149-year history.

Behind the scenes, Bombardier’s maintenance teams and support functions worked around the clock to ensure that more than 800 Bombardier trains on nine key routes serving London were available to meet the increased demand. The fleets maintained by Bombardier include c2c, the North London and East London lines (London Overground), Greater Anglia (Stansted Express), South Eastern, East Midlands Trains, the Victoria Line and sub-surface lines on London Underground as well as the Croydon Tramlink. Bombardier also services most of the East Midlands Train fleet running services into London from Sheffield and the East Midlands as well as the Voyager trains serving London Euston.

During the Olympics, BOMBARDIER ORBITA real-time data gathering and diagnostic technology actively monitored the fleets to identify any maintenance issues before they affected passenger services, while the train depots provided round-the-clock updates on fleet availability and highlighted where support was required. East Midlands Trains travelled 2,000 additional miles per day during the Olympics, while the c2c fleet doubled its weekend service to 18,000 miles to meet customer demand. London’s sub-surface railway carried up to 15 per cent more passengers.

Laurent Troger, President Services, Bombardier Transportation, said: “Our employees in the UK performed extremely well to help London deliver the Games and accommodate record numbers of passengers while the eyes of the world were on the city. The plans put in place by Bombardier’s Olympics Project Team ensured that we were fully prepared for this busy period. London’s transport network ran so smoothly that members of the International Olympic Committee were reported to have used the Underground because it was the most convenient way to travel.”