- Speech by André Navarri, President and COO of Bombardier Transportation, at the Toronto Board of Trade concludes company’s 20th anniversary celebrations
Before a well attended Toronto Board of Trade luncheon, André Navarri, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Transportation, discussed his perspectives on public transit solutions and the future of passenger rail transportation. The event concluded the company’s celebrations to mark 20 years ofsustained presence in Ontario.
“Ontario is part of Bombardier’s global success story,” Navarri told Toronto’s economic and business leaders. “The new Toronto Rocket and the GO Transit BOMBARDIER BiLevel trains are proudly made in Ontario. In the near future, when you step into the new TTC streetcars and the Metrolinx light rail vehicles, you will once again experience a Bombardier product made right here in your backyard. Although Bombardier has developed local roots all over the world, we have always maintained a strong and continuous presence in Canada, and we remain firmly implanted here as the only Canadian rail manufacturer.”
Navarri pointed to examples in many regions around the globe of initiatives to rebalance urban transport systems toward sustainable models, with some of the leaders – Metrolinx/Go Transit and the TTC – located in Toronto. He added: “The continuous increases in ridership and the levels of service you’ve achieved clearly reflect the vision that went into planning your network. By focusing on the needs of your growing communities while providing fast transit for commuters, you set the example for many cities.”
Urban growth has also resulted in cities being crowded and congested, wasting time, energy, money and creating pollution. Metrolinx estimates the annual cost of congestion to the Greater Toronto region at $6 billion CDN. Navarri said: “I know that gridlock and congestion are a major preoccupation of the Board of Trade and Ontario business leaders. Congestion impedes mobility and productivity on a daily basis.”
As governments and communities invest in their transit networks, the need to maximize public investments and generate local economic benefits is undisputable. This can be achieved by calling on partners with a strong local presence, and a long- standing network of local suppliers.
In Canada, the last two years were extremely active in passenger rail, with almost $2 billion CDN of contracts signed for more than 850 metro, commuter and light rail vehicles. One of the most important market segments in Canada in the near future will be for light rail. In this respect, Metrolinx has led the way with its Big Move program. The same applies for the replacement of TTC’s old streetcars, which represents the largest single order for light rail vehicles in the world.
There is also interest elsewhere in Ontario in cities such as Waterloo and Hamilton. In Western Canada, cities like Vancouver, Surrey, Edmonton and Calgary are at different stages of planning. In Québec, Montréal and Québec City are also moving along.
The future success of urban centres rests on re-defining the way people move within and between these expanding social and economic hubs. Smart transportation networks that offer interconnected mobility by linking different modes of transportation seamlessly are vital to prevent congestion from bringing traffic to a halt. The modes of seamless transportation developed by Bombardier range from trams and metros to game-changing electric mobility solutions for electric rail and road vehicles, while its state-of-the-art rail control solutions reduce the constraints of current networks.
About Bombardier in Ontario
Twenty years ago, Bombardier signed two purchase agreements which enabled it to establish an industrial base in Ontario in each of its two main fields of activity – rail and aerospace. Bombardier acquired the Urban Transportation Development Company (UTDC), a manufacturer of rail transport equipment with facilities in Kingston and Thunder Bay and finalized the purchase of Boeing’s de Havilland division, along with its Downsview facility. Today, more than 6,200 Bombardier employees in Ontario manufacture, service or conduct research and development on world class trains and planes.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
Follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail.
BOMBARDIER and BiLevel are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
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