Rail technology company Bombardier Transportation, which has its headquarters in Berlin, recently announced that its Chinese joint venture — Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd (BST) — has been awarded a contract
by China Railway Corp (CRC) to supply 120 CR400AF Chinese-standard high-speed train carriages for China’s evolving high-speed rail network.

The 120 carriages will be configured into five eight-carriage trains and five 16-carriage trains; they will have an operating speed of 350kph.
The total contract is worth about $324 million. Bombardier Transportation owns 50% of the shares in BST.

Jianwei Zhang, president of Bombardier Transportation China, said: “We are very proud to be qualified — through the joint-venture BST — to supply the new generation of high-speed CR400s.

"In China, high-speed trains have changed people’s life dramatically, helping to close the distance between villages and cities, bridging the gaps between rural and urban areas, and speeding up economic growth.

"CRC is one of Bombardier’s most important customers, as well as a long-term strategic partner.”

The first carriage will be delivered this month, with all deliveries completed by the end of this year. CRC says the delivery within three months reflects the confidence it has in BST’s efficiency and competitiveness.

Bombardier Transportation in China has six joint ventures that together have delivered more than 3,500 railway passenger carriages, 580 electric locomotives, and over 2,000 carriages for metros, monorails, APMs (Automated
People Movers) and trams.