Bombardier Transportation has been commissioned by the Norwegian State Railway (NSB) to refurbish 56 Class 5 coaches. This contract, valued at approximately 64 million euros ($91 million US), is a demonstration of the trust that major railway operators place in Bombardier’s refurbishment capabilities. As part of the scope of work, exteriors will be repainted and windows and external doors replaced. All existing bogies will be replaced by Bombardier’s BT5000 bogies.
Customer comfort is the main priority in a complete redesign of the interior, with - new HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), a modern Passenger Information System, new lighting and seats, a brand new bistro coach, as well as a family coach with a play area for children. The contract includes an option provisioning for refurbishment of a further 18 coaches.
The Class 5-vehicles were originally built in Bombardier’s Strømmen site (Norway) between 1977 and 1981. The refurbishment will be carried out at the Bombardier sites in Strømmen (Norway) and Dunakeszi (Hungary), starting in November 2008, with first deliveries scheduled for January 2009 and the last vehicle returning to service in June 2010.
Bombardier has been selected by NSB for its combination of intimate knowledge of the vehicle’s original design together with superior execution and competitive prices for a quality service.
Laurent Troger, Vice President, Continental Europe, Bombardier Transportation, Services, commented: “For Bombardier, this contract represents its largest ever refurbishment project in Norway. It underlines Bombardier’s regional leadership position and we are looking forward to developing our relationship further.”
Tor-Arne Stenhaug, Chief Country Representative Bombardier Norway, said: “This contract is a fine example of Bombardier’s commitment to the local market. We have worked together with NSB on refurbishment contracts in the past, but never before on this scale.”