Israel Railways Signs Bombardier Deal for 74 Carriages

Bombardier Transportation announced that it has signed a contract to provide 74 additional Twindexx Vario double-deck coaches to Israel Railways. This order is part of a framework agreement signed in October 2010 and is worth about $166 million. The delivery of the new carriages is scheduled to be completed by December 2021, Globes reported.

“We are very proud to have signed a seventh consecutive order with Israel Railways, a result of exemplary collaboration and customer satisfaction. It is testimony to the superior quality and reliable performance in customer service of all coaches delivered up to this point,” said Michael Fohrer, president of Bombardier Transportation’s CEC region (Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Israel and China). Fohrer added: “This order will strengthen and also benefit from the ongoing transformation of our two sites in Saxony, Germany, Görlitz, as the competence center for car body production, and Bautzen, as our industrial lead site for serial production, [and] will decisively contribute to the successful execution of this order. In addition, we will continue progressively developing our local supply base and the railway industry in Israel, in particular through the increased involvement of our final assembly site of M.T.R. Dimona, Israel.”

“Sustainability over the entire life cycle, safety, reliability, higher capacity and performance; those are the ingredients that make our double deck TWINDEXX Vario trains so successful,” said Bombardier Transportation Chief Country Representative in Israel, Eran Cohen.

The new order consists of 11 control cars for operation with TRAXX electric locomotives, also compatible with diesel locomotives, eleven intermediate coaches with dedicated space for people with reduced mobility and 52 trailer cars. Additionally, the driver’s desk in the control car will be redesigned to make it identical to that of TRAXX electric locomotives.

This single-car concept enables Israel Railways to configure the loco-hauled train sets according to the required capacity. Each of the eight-car trains currently in service feature seating capacity for 1,000 passengers. The popular train sets, based on a proven platform concept in operation across Europe, are in daily service in Israel and compliant with all current safety, comfort and efficiency standards. They constitute an important step in alleviating congestion on Israeli roads.

As a full solution provider, Bombardier Transportation operates a service depot in Haifa where 293 double-deck coaches of Israel Railways’ existing fleet are being upgraded for a speed of 160 km/h and for electric traction.