JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #117 - November/December 2017 - 47

Moderni ation of lndian rolling stock

interview
HARSH DHINGRA,
Chief Country Representative
Bombardier Transportation, India

What is the current state of the rolling stock
market in India?

Harsh Dhingra: India is one of the

How do you see India's new metro policy?

H. D.: We are pleased with the overall direc-

tion of the new metro policy, which stresses
safety, the introduction of new trains and
technologies, increased focus on public/
private partnerships, improved passenger
comfort, standardized norms, innovative
financial models and, most importantly, a
stronger commitment to involve the private

Dehli MOVIA metro car

sector. This new policy clearly outlines the
current government's vision to transform the
rail transportation landscape in India.
The new policy focuses on "Make in India"
and Bombardier is one of the few rail companies truly delivering the "Make in India"
promise by manufacturing rail products
and solutions in India for Indian rail operators and for export. Bombardier is one of
the main suppliers of rolling stock across the
world and we are delighted with the prospect
that the new policy allows for an alternate
analysis of mass transit modes based on the
requirements of Indian cities. Bombardier
can offer monorails, trams, commuter trains
and metro trains for new emerging Indian
cities.
What are the key product differentiators of
Bombardier transport systems?

H. D.: As the world's leading metro suppli-

er, Bombardier is shaping the future of mass
transit travel. Our high-tech, high-capacity
metros deliver rapid, reliable and cost-effective sustainable transport solutions for more
than seven billion trips every year in major
cities like New York, Montreal, London, Berlin, Shanghai and New Delhi. Our MOVIA
and INNOVIA metro trains are setting the
standard for smart mobility. With spacious
modern interiors and stylish exterior design,
these highly reliable metros offer a proven
transport solution for the world's great cities.
These flexible solutions have customizable
features and are suitable for a range of applications.
Fully automated operation and maximum
energy efficiency are made possible through
our innovative CITYFLO train control and
MITRAC energy-saving technologies.
Bombardier's extensive research and development for the MOVIA Maxx metro has ensured that this new product platform delivers
on the four most important priorities for city
metro operators:
- Maximum value: the MOVIA Maxx metro
is designed to deliver the best value for money in terms of passenger capacity, acquisition
costs, energy consumption and availability.
- Maximum capacity: Large passenger loads
are this metro's key strength. Capacity is up
to 374 passengers per car, i.e. almost 3,000
people per eight-car train. The MOVIA

Maxx metro is a highly flexible solution with
a scalable car body concept and train configurations of 3 to 8 cars.
- Maximum passenger flow: Up to four doors
per side and wide doors from 1,400-1,600
mm speed up train boarding/exiting to improve train dwell times at stations and reduce
overall journey times for passengers.
- Maximum reliability: Durable equipment
and proven systems provide low life-cycle
costs, which can be further reduced with
Bombardier's service technologies.
What is your viewpoint on the Indian government?

H. D.: India has the fourth largest rail network in the world and we at Bombardier are
pleased with the efforts of Indian Railways
and metro rail organizations to modernize
the rail transportation in India. When we
met the Prime Minister of India, he mentioned that railways is one of the sectors leading his "Make in India" programme and he
appreciated Bombardier's efforts to deliver
his vision.
Bombardier is handling the first rolling stock
export project for India, Queensland New
Generation Rolling stock (QNGR). The
company also supports the Indian Government's "Skill India" vision with locally-grown
talents now delivering projects for both India
and export, as well as supporting the "Clean
India Movement" by regularly arranging
clean-up drives in Vadodara, India.

Our company aims at investing with a longterm perspective in manufacturing facilities,
local talents, the development of a local supplier base, new technologies as statutory in
the projects Bombardier is pursuing in the
Indian market.

Feature Land Transportation

most important railway markets for Bombardier. Mass transit systems planned in over 50
cities by 2020, the modernization of Indian
Railways' network, and plans for semi-highspeed and high-speed trains offer a huge potential to further optimize the Indian transport system.
In fact, this offers a great opportunity for
dependable system providers like Bombardier as in the next five years, Indian Railways
plans to buy approximately 3,000 metro cars,
5000 EMUs with maintenance, 9 high-speed
lines, 20 semi-high-speed lines and the regular supply of propulsion equipment for electric locomotives and EMUs for the Indian
railways.

A elcome signal for composites

/ jec composites magazine

What are your company's investment plans
in India?

H. D.: The recent investment of around 33
million euros in a state-of-the-art railway vehicle manufacturing site at Savli, Gujarat, is a
testimony to the fact that India has become
one of our most important markets.
Over the past two decades, Bombardier has
invested around USD100 million in Indian
manufacturing sites, people, engineering,
local supplier networks and proven technologies.

N°117 November - December 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #117 - November/December 2017