This is part 2 of a multi-part series on the world’s high speed train makers. Part 1 — a profile of Alstom — ran on Monday.
Though it is now the world’s largest train manufacturer, Bombardier followed a haphazard route into the field. Joseph-Armand Bombardier founded the company in the 1940s, originally producing the Ski-Doo line of snowmobiles. His business’ success produced enough profit by 1971 to acquire Austria’s Lohnerwerke, which produced snowmobile engines and tram vehicles. [SButtonZ button="digg"]
That acquisition was prescient as it allowed Bombardier to meet the challenges of the oil crisis by shifting much of its snowmobile manufacturing facilities over to train production. Its first major contract was a 1974 order for 423 cars for the metro in Montréal, where the company is headquartered.
Since then, in addition to building an airplane business, Bombardier has slowly built up its rail operations through acquisitions, notably with the capstone 2001 purchase of ADtranz, a German company then owned by DaimlerChrysler. Now, the expanded Bombarider Transportation is headquartered in Berlin and produces a plurality of the world’s metros, tramways, and locomotives.
Despite its leadership in the rapid transit industry, Bombardier has primarily served as a business partner in the assembly of high-speed trains for other manufacturers. In the 1990s, using Alstom’s TGV as the mold, Bombardier helped build the Acela Express for U.S. Northeast corridor service. Simultaneously, it entered into partnership with Siemens to develop the ICE3 trainset, an evolution of older German designs.
More recently, Bombardier has created its own trains, though these vehicles are only capable of 135 mph operation speeds, significantly slower than the fastest products from other companies. Examples are now in service in China, Sweden, and Norway.
[JetTrain - pic via]
In 2002, Bombardier’s JetTrain prototype seemed to herald an opening for the company on the U.S. market. It would provide 150 mph service using a jet engine, rather than relying on overhead electric lines standard for high-speed rail. Designed specifically for the American market, JetTrain would make it possible to provide fast service without as many corridor upgrades as typically needed. It was a promising technology, but plans for its use in states like Florida fell by the wayside. Bombardier no longer markets the train at all.
But Bombardier has spent the last decade designing a new very high-speed train, the Zefiro, which will be ready for use worldwide in 2012. It will be the fastest in the world when the first of 80 trains hit the ground at 235 mph on new tracks between Beijing and Shanghai. It will offer up to 1,336 seats, more than twice the number of people that can fit in the biggest aircraft, the Airbus A380. A 155 mph model will be the fastest sleeper train and offer 16-car trainsets with 480 beds; this product could allow for the kind of fast transcontinental service envisioned by some U.S. rail planners. Bombardier claims the Zefiro will be the most efficient of all high-speed trains.
Zefiro [pic via]
The recent Chinese contract indicates that Bombardier has a good chance of securing similar orders from American rail companies once high-speed tracks are in operation stateside. The company’s effort to market trains as the green mobility solution plays well in this environmentally conscious age. But first tracks must be substantially improved, and U.S. rail planners must be excited about using the Bombardier’s technology.
[Bombardier trains - pic via]
Tags: THE RAIL WORLD
You left out a lot here . . . how Bombardier bought the assets of US railcar manufacturers Budd and Pullman-Standard. How Bombardier established itself in the US Commuter rail market and supplied equipment to Amtrak (Horizon fleet, Superliner II and Acela). That Bombardier has a plant in Plattsburg, NY as well as Canadian and Mexican plants (and had a now closed Vermont plant). The significance of coaches built for NJ Transit and Montreal that are bi-level but built to fit under the Hudson River tunnels. That Bombardier builds light rail and subway cars too.
In response to Chris — With this series, we’re trying to focus on the high-speed rail manufacturing of these companies, so we’re not talking so much about their other work. But thanks for pointing those facts out.
Shamefully no plans in Canada to employ any of these beautiful children in the homeland. At least we could have a 150 Km run between Toronto and Niagara falls, but nooo!
@ Yonah Freemark -
the Chinese order actually went to a joint venture called Bombardier Sifang headquartered in Qingdao. Bombardier’s share of the $4 billion contract is about 50%.
Siemens also had to enter into a technology transfer arrangement to win the even bigger CHR3 contract. Its local partner is CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co. Ltd. based in Tangshan.
That reminds me, which other manufacturers are you planning to cover? Siemens, Talgo, AnsaldoBreda, Kawasaki, Hitachi, Rotem, CAF? Transrapid? Anyone else?
@ Steve Baker -
1970 documentary of the iconic UAC Turbo Train: part 1,
part 2,
part 3
The Turbo Train still holds the US high speed passenger train record at 170.8mph. The main problem is that the a two-stage gas turbine guzzles a lot of fuel, especially in part load, making it expensive to operate. Single-stage turbines in the multi-megawatt range are a lot more efficient but unsuitable for the rapid load variations of vehicular applications without additional stabilization systems.
Which U.S. rail planners plan for transcontinental HSR?
I saw those tracks being built between Shanghai and Beijing on my visit this summer – quite amazing. Too bad Canada still thinks any sort of high-speed rail project is ’10 years off.’ The irony is killing me.
The reason Bombardier tries to play up its green cred is that alone among the major rolling stock manufacturers, it isn’t a general industrial conglomerate. I believe trains are actually a majority of its revenues, unlike with Kawasaki, Alstom, or Siemens, which make a lot of non-green products; Siemens has had to pay billions in fines for its polluting activities. This means Bombardier has everything to gain and nothing to lose from environmental legislation. Its environmentalism is really no different from Exxon-Mobil’s anti-environmentalism: both are marketing ploys to improve the bottom line.
Speaking of marketing, I’ve found Bombardier’s page about the Zefiro very fluffy, filled with meaningless adjective. Saying “This is the most environmentally friendly high speed train” doesn’t say much. Putting up a table comparing the Zefiro’s energy consumption at full speed to the Velaro’s or the AGV’s does. Bombardier’s clients are rail authorities; they know the Velaro and AGV exist, and if Bombardier mentioned them it wouldn’t be free advertising for its competitors. The only thing Bombardier says about the Zefiro that’s a real selling point is that it explains that the company’s experience building planes has helped them design the train’s nose to be more aerodynamic. This is believable; the fluff isn’t.
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Well, it’s quite obvious that Bombardier have no clues about bullet trains, they share most of their contracts with locals, but they seems far behind technologicly to over 250kms/h high speed trains, making paper train dreams as zefiro will not help much, and as seimens they’ll have to deal with security record when they face it, if ever they run a bullet train to 380kms/h out of rails with 1000 passengers aboard , not using Jacobs Bogies could be far expansive to human’s lifes in the futur, selling cheap to russian and chinese could get somes big back drafts in term of image in a near futur!
i think Alstom is the top notch, Tgv trains sets broke through rails at more than 270kms/h and no causualities, because technologies involved “high tech jacobs bogies” are far ahead in security!
they use 700 bullet trains each day for 30 years now in france, with average speed of 300km/h and not only some spot to 300km/h as ICE run into the not so high speed lines drawn in germany!
Technologicly, economicly and about safety nothing in near Future can match the AGV mighty bullet train acheivment!
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