Bombardier to overhaul 143 TWINDEXX double-deck coaches for Israel Railways

• Following scheduled mid-life overhaul, teams will now modernize fleet to increase reliability
  
• Currently, coaches are undergoing a six-year retrofit project to prepare them for network electrification

BERLIN, Jan. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

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Bombardier Transportation has begun the mid-life overhaul for Israel Railways’ (ISR) fleet of 143 BOMBARDIER TWINDEXX double-deck coaches. Valued at around $15 million US, this new project covers additional interior and exterior technical works to overhaul the coaches’ systems.

Eran Cohen, Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation in Israel, said, “We thank ISR for entrusting us with yet another services and asset-life-management project. We look forward to continuing the long term and successful partnership with ISR as our strategic customer. This project provides our latest opportunity to implement the teams' extensive know-how and experience which are best suited to meet our customer’s time to market, high availability and reliability targets.”

Delivered between 2002 and 2006, these first-generation TWINDEXX coaches will now have some of their internal and external doors modernized and their passenger information systems and jumper cables replaced. The project which recently started with design and engineering works, will then proceed with equipping one pilot train. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by January 2023.

The overhaul will rely on Bombardier Transportation and Israel Railways’ expert teams’ combined equipment, and experiences to leverage synergies and expertise. This combined approach seeks to accelerate on-time delivery and increase quality performance.

This mid-life project is the next natural step in a six-year retrofit program for the ISR’s fleet of TWINDEXX double-deck coaches. Bombardier Transportation and ISR have recently implemented the necessary technical work packages to prepare and adjust the fleet for electric operation, including implementation of magnetic track brakes to allow speeds of 160 kph, as well as implementing additional diagnostics and safety systems.

In all, the project covers the following:

• Overhauling and modernizing coaches’ exterior door system
• Overhauling toilet system doors, making them more accessible for passengers with reduced mobility
• Replacing 400-volt jumper cables
• Renewing the passenger information system

About Bombardier Transportation Israel
Bombardier Transportation has been operating in Israel since 1997, with Bombardier Transportation Israel established in 2003. The company has more than 100 employees and operates five sites in Israel: Dimona, Be'er Sheva, Lod, Haifa and a corporate headquarters in Ramat-Gan.

Bombardier Transportation has been a strategic partner to Israel and Israel Railways for over 20 years and has contributed significantly to improving mainline rail mobility and accessibility in Israel through:

• Delivery of more than 140 IC3 DMU cars
• Providing more than 580 BOMBARDIER TWINDEXX double-deck coaches
• Delivery of 62 BOMBARDIER TRAXX electric Locomotives
• A six-year program to upgrade 300 double-deck coaches for electric operation
• Moving approximately 145,000 passengers a day with Bombardier rolling-stock*
• Vehicles traveling approximately 50,000 km a day on the ISR network, including the A1 express line between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem *
• Enabling a sustainable passenger capacity of around 70 per cent boost over the last 5 years as Israel’s number of train journeys has increased from approximately 35 million passengers to over 60 million a year*
  

* Based on pre-COVID data

About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industry’s broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 36,000 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

About Bombardier
With over 52,000 employees across two business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in over 25 countries across the segments of Aviation and Transportation. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Bombardier posted revenues of $15.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to editors
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Bombardier TRAXX and TWINDEXX are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

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