Bombardier well positioned for future

Re Has Bombardier finally run out of track? Olive, Dec. 17 David Olive is asking if Bombardier “has finally run out of track” and “will end up in liquidation.” These are very strong statements that do not reflect the reality of our company and industry. On the contrary, Bombardier remains strong and present.

We are a global company with a $34-billion backlog with contracts in 70 countries. Every day, we safely move half a billion people across the globe. In North America, Bombardier has more than 10,000 rail vehicles in service in cities and airports. Nine of the 10 busiest airports in the United States have chosen Bombardier for their automated transit systems.

In the past week alone, contracts worth $550 million (U.S.) were awarded to Bombardier and it is well positioned to sign a historic contract with the New Jersey Transit for the purchase of multi-level vehicles. The mobility industry is forecasting $40 billion worth of contracts in North America in the next five years. Bombardier, with its complete portfolio of solutions, will be well positioned to win its fair share.

Nonetheless, Bombardier is extremely disappointed by the decision of Via Rail — a Crown corporation — to select a foreign competitor and award them a $1-billion contract. This disappointment is shared among 4,600 employees in our transportation division in Canada and their families, as well as our 500 Canadian suppliers.

We believe an industrial policy should be based on a long-term approach that supports local champions who are innovative, use Canadianmade technology and provide superior engineering and manufacturing to ensure the future growth and viability of Canadian industries.

We also believe our investments over the past decades, the expertise of our thousands of workers and our contribution to the value chain, along with the creation of economic wealth, should be recognized here at home, as they are in the United States, France, Germany, Great Britain and with our joint ventures in China.

From time to time, we have faced delays, like any company in the rail industry, and, unfortunately, it happened in our home country. In Ontario, we acknowledged our issues and took concrete measures to improve our delivery rate.

This is Bombardier’s true nature: delivering safe, reliable and sustainable mobility solutions to meet our commitment to our customers. Elliot G. Sander, president, Bombardier Transportation, Americas region