Bombardier to supply 47 Flexity trams to Berlin

Bombardier Transportation has received a $190m order from German rail operator BVG to supply 47 additional Flexity trams for Berlin.

The order was made as part of a framework agreement signed in 2006 for a maximum of 206 vehicles.

Initially, BVG placed an order for four pre-series vehicles for testing purpose. This was followed by 99 trams in 2009 and 39 trams in 2012.

So far, Bombardier has supplied 189 trams to BVG.

Bombardier Transportation light rail vehicles head Carsten Bopp said: "Having handed over the 100th tram to BVG in summer 2015, this call-off is yet another important milestone in the long and successful cooperation in the German capital.

"The increasing number of passengers confirms the attractiveness of public transport in Berlin, the city with the fourth largest tram network worldwide, and we are proud to be an integral part of this success story."

"The increasing number of passengers confirms the attractiveness of public transport in Berlin, the city with the fourth largest tram network worldwide."

Bombardier will also revamp 20 trams from a previous contract from five to seven-module vehicles.

BVG Trams director Klaus-Dietrich Matschke said: "By ordering another 47 FLEXITY and the conversion of short to long trams, BVG proactively responds to the requirement arising from the growing city of Berlin for local public transport."

Earlier this week, Bombardier won a $165m contract with China Railway (CRC) to provide 80 CRH1E-250 high-speed new-generation sleeper train cars.

A Bombardier-Alstom consortium also won a contract to supply up to 1,362 M7 double deck cars to the Belgian National Railways (SNCB-NMBS) for a total order value of $3.6bn.

The first firm order secured by the consortium includes the design and manufacturing of 445 cars valued at $1.4bn.

Image: Bombardier supplied 189 trams to Berlin City. Photo: courtesy of Bombardier.