Bombardier Transportation and its Joint Venture Partner BCP, working in close partnership with CSR Puzhen, have announced that trams equipped with Bombardier technology have entered revenue service in Suzhou, China. These vehicles are produced by CSR Nanjing Puzhen Co., Ltd. (CSR Puzhen) under a technology license agreement concluded in July 2012 together with Bombardier Transportation. The order for 18 low-floor, five-module trams was awarded to CSR Puzhen in December 2012.

The 100% low-floor tramway trains are 32 meters long and 2.65 meters wide, corresponding with the Chinese customers’ demand for high passenger capacity. Their design, based on Bombardier’s FLEXITY 2 product platform, represents the leading-edge in passenger safety, comfort, and convenience, especially when entering and exiting the vehicle. In addition, the tram’s low energy consumption substantially contributes to the delivery of more environmentally friendly modes of transportation for the urban public.

The vehicles feature BOMBARDIER FLEXX Urban 300 bogies and are propelled by BOMBARDIER MITRAC traction technology. In addition to the Suzhou vehicles, CSR Puzhen has also won projects in its hometown Nanjing. Two lines in Nanjing have recently been equipped with catenary-free operation technology based on BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE heavy-duty traction batteries. Furthermore, CSR Puzhen is the rolling stock supplier for Suzhou’s metro network.

Delivering this propulsion equipment to its Chinese partners is just another example of Bombardier’s ability to meet the needs of the world market. Complex projects like these further illustrate Bombardier’s position as a strong global partner and its ability to provide competitive solutions that match varied market requirements.

Mr. Zhang Jianwei, President of Bombardier China, commenting on the event, said, “I think both CSR Puzhen and Bombardier have reason to be proud of this important achievement in their cooperation and I am confident that the people and visitors of Suzhou city will soon be convinced of the speed and comfort this modern transit system offers. This is yet another reference of Bombardier’s consistent engagement and close partnerships with forerunners in China’s aerospace and railway industries.”

With a population of nearly 11 million, the city of Suzhou is located next to the Shanghai municipality in the southeast of China’s Jiangsu province. Suzhou New District (SND) Tram Co., Ltd. will operate the trams in one of Suzhou’s satellite districts that incorporates a large high-tech industrial park.

Worldwide, Bombardier has sold more than 1,200 units of its FLEXITY type 100 per cent low-floor tramway vehicles. Some 3,500 Bombardier trams and light rail vehicles are in revenue service, or on order, in approximately 100 cities across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.

In order to sustain global economic growth while ensuring urban dwellers’ health and quality of life, cities all over the world are looking for smarter forms of mass transit. Considered one of the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient modes of public transport available, trams and light rail vehicles consume up to five times less energy per passenger than a car carrying one or two passengers.