Bombardier Transportation, together with consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe, has signed an option to supply 16 additional *BOMBARDIER *FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles (LRVs) to Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Metrolink system. This option forms part of the contract signed with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE now referred to as TfGM) in 2007 and is valued at approximately £34 million GBP (43 million euro, $55 million US), with Bombardier’s share valued at approximately £25 million GBP (32 million euro, $41 million US).

At 28.4 m long and 2.65 m wide, the LRVs for Greater Manchester can accommodate more than 200 passengers. Wide double-door entrances provide rapid passenger flow and multi-purpose areas accommodate pushchairs and wheelchair users. The vehicles’ ease of maintenance and industry-leading reliability ensure unparalleled operational efficiency.

Bombardier’s FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles are TfGM’s trams of choice for this ambitious project and are helping to relieve congestion in the Greater Manchester urban area. Since the first vehicles began operating almost five years ago, theFLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles have enjoyed great popularity with both passengers and Metrolink.

Commenting on the trams, Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee said, “I am delighted we have been able to place this order, which will bring our fleet to 120 vehicles – a symbol of just how far our network has come since it opened in 1992 with just 26 trams. The expansion of the network has been a giant leap for Metrolink, and that leap has been matched by the far greater performance and quality of the new M5000 trams compared to the original, now-retired T68 vehicles.”

Germar Wacker, President, Light Rail Vehicles, Bombardier Transportation said, “Our FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles have proven to be a success with both the travelling public and the customer. We have an excellent relationship with Transport for Greater Manchester and are delighted to be able to further cement our partnership with this additional order.”

Bombardier’s FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles operate successfully in cities around the globe. In total, Bombardier now has more than 3,500 trams and light rail vehicles in successful revenue service or on order in cities across Europe, Australia and North America.