Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation announced today that its Chinese joint venture, Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. (BST), has been awarded another contract from China Railway Corp. (CRC) to supply 40 CRH1A-A new generation high-speed train cars to the Nanning Railway Bureau.

The new trains will become part of the ongoing integration of Guangxi’s regional high-speed railways into the national high-speed network. This new contract for five eight-car trainsets is valued at approximately 543 million Chinese RMBs (€73m, $79m US) and follows a separate contract for 144 high-speed carsannounced by the JV in early March.

Bombardier owns 50% of the shares in BST, and the JV is controlled by BT’s partner CRRC Sifang Co., Ltd. This latest contract is the fourteenth high-speed train order that BST has been awarded since 2004.

Jianwei Zhang, President of Bombardier China, said, "Our cutting edge rail technology is one of the driving forces behind the rapid development of China’s advanced high-speed train network. We have already provided over 3,000 high-speed train cars to the Chinese market and this latest contract is further proof of our ability to consistently leverage our expertise and experience to contribute to the development of local and national economies in regions like Guangxi."

Guangxi occupies an important hub of tourism, trade and is an important link with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. These high-speed trains will help integrate Guangxi into the national network, connecting the region to neighboring cities and boosting the local economy while improving the passenger’s travel experience.

The CRH1A-A train has an operational speed of 250km/h and its aluminium carbody’s design delivers improved performance and lower operating costs by reducing weight, track wear and aerodynamic drag. The train also has a unique appearance due to its innovative graphics, windows, lighting and shape, while its exceptional energy efficiency sets new industry standards for sustainable transportation and passenger comfort.

The trainsets are manufactured at Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation production facilities in Qingdao, China and feature the highly efficient BOMBARDIER MITRAC propulsion and control system, supplied by a separate Bombardier Chinese joint venture, Bombardier Transportation in China is the full solution provider across the entire value chain.

From vehicles and propulsion to services and design, Bombardier Transportation in China has six joint ventures, seven wholly foreign-owned enterprises, and more than 6,000 employees. Together, the joint ventures have delivered more than 3,500 railway passenger cars, 580 electric locomotives and over 2,000 metro cars to China’s growing urban mass transit markets. Bombardier also provides propulsion equipment to third party metro car builders for use in 21 Chinese cities.

As a proven global full services provider, Bombardier’s joint ventures have also won orders in China to provide maintenance for 1,160 metro cars.