Les véhicules de Bombardier fourniront le service de transport de voyageurs gratuit entre le village olympique et paralympique et Granville Island, sept jours sur sept, 18 heures par jour
BERLIN, ALLEMAGNE--(Marketwire - le 12 octobre 2009) - Durant un événement de célébration animé par la Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (STIB) qui s'est tenu aujourd'hui, deux tramways FLEXITY ont marqué leur départ à destination de Vancouver, au Canada, où ils seront les vedettes d'un projet de démonstration de tramways unique en son genre qui se déroulera durant les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d'hiver 2010 de Vancouver. The 32-metre long vehicles will be transported to Bremerhaven, Germany, where they will start their voyage across the high seas. Travelling through the Panama Canal, the award-winning vehicles are scheduled to arrive in Vancouver in early December 2009.
Bombardier Transportation and the City of Vancouver are co-sponsors of the Olympic Line project. This sponsorship is complementary to Bombardier's role as an Official Supporter of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and designer/ manufacturer of the Olympic torches.
The FLEXITY trams will provide free passenger service between the Olympic and Paralympic Village and Granville Island, a key entertainment centre for the 2010 Winter Games. From January 21 until March 21, 2010, Bombardier will operate the FLEXITY vehicles 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, at 6 to 7 minutes headway on the 1.8-km Olympic Line. This 60-day demonstration period will provide accessible, environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation for over 500,000 Vancouver residents, visitors and athletes from all over the world.
Speaking at the celebratory event in Brussels, Andre Navarri, President of Bombardier Transportation, said: "Population growth, urbanisation, congestion and pollution are all resulting in a 'Renaissance' in public transport and with it a revival of the tram - as many urban centres consider modern tram technology as an important component of public transit planning and sustainable transportation. In many cities around the world, modern trams are transporting people quickly, efficiently and in comfort and at the same time, are helping cities to breathe once again by reducing pollution and congestion. We are delighted to be able to demonstrate this increasingly popular solution in public transport to the City of Vancouver."
Alain Flausch, Chief Executive Officer of the STIB, commented: "We are very proud that our FLEXITY Outlook tram with its Art Nouveau excellent design has been selected by our colleagues of Vancouver and Bombardier as an example of what a modern and efficient tram should look like and be. I am confident that being there with our tram in the middle of a worldwide event like the Winter Olympics will contribute both to the future success of the tram on the North American continent and to the image of Brussels as a city dedicated to public transport and sustainable mobility".
Brigitte Grouwels, Minister of Transport of the Brussels Capital Region, concluded: "As Minister of Transport in the Brussels Capital region I am very proud that our Brussels Transport company will provide two BOMBARDIER FLEXITY streetcars on loan for the 2010 Winter Games. This FLEXITY model has definitely proven its functionality in our city. Passengers with childrens' strollers, for example, benefit from these low floor vehicles that enable a continuous flow of passengers. They are also important in reducing CO2 emissions. This partnership is an excellent opportunity to underscore our image as an energy conscious and environmentally friendly capital of not only Belgium, but of Europe as well."
The Brussels FLEXITY tram has been recognized in the industry for best-in-class innovation and design. It received the prestigious "Henry Van de Velde label" (2007) for its contemporary interpretation of the Art Nouveau style and a "Design at Work" Award (2008) for innovative product development and outstanding design qualities.
Currently, more than 450 100% low-floor FLEXITY vehicles are in successful revenue service in Augsburg (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), Linz and Innsbruck (Austria), Lodz (Poland), Eskisehir (Turkey), Geneva (Switzerland), Marseille (France), Valencia and Alicante (Spain), and will soon be put into operation in Palermo (Italy) and Krefeld (Germany). Similar 100% low floor technology will soon be supplied to the City of Toronto, which recently awarded the largest ever light rail contract of 204 streetcars to Bombardier Transportation.
About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation, the global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies - built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology - conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has a presence in over 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009, were $19.7 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.
About the STIB
The largest Belgian urban public transport company, the Societe des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles, serves the 19 municipalities of the Brussels Capital Region as well as 11 other outlying communes. It covers a surface area of 241.5 km2 and provides transport for a population of over 1,100,000 inhabitants and thousands of commuters.
The STIB network has 4 metro lines, 20 tram lines, 50 bus lines and 17 night bus lines. In 2008, over 286.1 million people chose public transport to get around the capital. Between1999 and 2008, the number of STIB customers increased by 80%. This spectacular progress is almost unique in Europe.
Note to Editors
A photo is available on our web site at: http://www.transportation.bombardier.com.
For more information on Vancouver's 2010 Streetcar please visit: http://www.vancouverstreetcar.bombardier.com
BOMBARDIE FLEXITY and ECO4 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
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Talal Zouaoui, talal.zouaoui@ca.transport.bombardier.com
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Alejandro Gutierrez-Marcos
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