Bombardier has officially launched the construction of a new Bogie Technical Centre in Siegen, Germany.
Pierre Beaudoin, president and chief executive officer, Bombardier, and Andre Navarri, president and chief operating officer, Bombardier Transportation, took part in laying the foundation stone at Bombardier’s Siegen bogie production site.
The new centre of excellence is due to begin operations by the middle of 2014.
The site will bring together Bombardier’s engineering experts with the necessary tools and means to continue to develop and test the Flexx bogie portfolio, in particular in terms of strict certification and homologation processes.
Pierre Beaudoin said: “The Bogie Technical Centre is a significant investment for Bombardier.
“We are dedicated to our customers and the new centre will give us the means to meet our customers’ needs now and in the future by expanding and further improving our Flexx bogies portfolio.”
Andre Navarri added: “Bogies are a core competence of Bombardier and play a crucial role in all our rail vehicles, from trams to very high-speed trains.
“The Bogie Technical Centre will create the perfect environment for innovation, allowing Bombardier to test innovative ideas and strengthen its future competitiveness.”
I seem to recall that, back in the mists of time, Britain led the world in bogie design and construction. Whatever happened to allow these skills to be exported to Germany?