Delhi Metro orders 76 additional metro cars from Bombardier

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has ordered 76 additional Bombardier Movia metro cars from German train maker Bombardier for approximately Rs551.4 crore ($120 million), to make commuters travel more comfortable from the over-crowded trains.

The order is a follow-on to the 114 coaches ordered in mid 2010. Delhi Metro, which is already operating around 460 of these Movia metro cars in the Delhi's metro network, will be operating a fleet of 614 Movia metro cars with the new order, one of the largest in the world.

The Movia cars are manufactured at Bombardier's industrial site in Savli, Vadodara in Gujarat State and their delivery will start in the third quarter of 20121 and is likely to end in early 2013, Bombardier, the world's largest rail-equipment manufacturer said in a statement yesterday.

Currently, Delhi Metro has four and six-coach trains and the metro operator had earlier placed an order for 136 coaches from Mitsubishi-Rotem-Mitsubishi electrical, for which delivery is expected to begin from September 2012 and be completed by December 2013.

The additional coaches will ease the over crowded trains in the Delhi Metro, which runs through Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad making more than 2500 train trips each day traversing over 69,000kms a day ferrying around 15.5 lakh people daily.

Of the 76 new cars ordered, 74 cars will be used to convert 37 six-coach trains into eight-coach ones on the Jehangirpuri-HUDA City Centre corridor while the remaining two coaches will be used for converting a four-coach train into a six- coach one.

Stéphane Rambaud-Measson, president, passengers division of Bombardier Transportation, said, "We are delighted to receive this additional order to supply Movia vehicles in New Delhi. It is an excellent endorsement of our growing relationship in India. We intend to continue to contribute to the success of the Delhi Metro network by delivering more of our high performance Movia vehicles, meriting the trust that the DMRC management have placed in us."

Benoît Cattin Martel, president & managing director of Bombardier Transportation in India, said, "India's railway industry is expanding at great speed to keep up with the infrastructural requirements of the country. Having anticipated this growth, Bombardier in India is more than ready and willing to match the industry's needs in terms of products, technology and our international expertise."