Bombardier hopes for massive rail contract in China

China has finally given the go-ahead for a high-speed train link between Shanghai and Beijing, and it is very possible the Canadian company, Bombardier, which already does much work in China, will be involved in the contract.

Bids on the estimated $26 billion-plus project have not been called yet, but the Chinese media is naming Bombardier as a contender and likely winner.

Jianwei Zhang, president of Bombardier’s operations in China said, ‘Winning a contract like this will enforce Bombardier’s leading position in China. Bombardier is already a leader in Chinese railways. Bombardier is the supplier for several of China’s national key projects.’

He referred to the Automated People Mover at Beijing Airport, the high-speed link between the capital and Beijing Airport, the Shanghai Metro and the Wu-Guang rail line.

He said, ‘Bombardier is one of the very-high-speed train leaders in the world. We have participated in 95% of the very-high-speed train projects in Europe, including development, design and manufacturing.’

The 1,318-kilometre train service between Beijing and Shanghai has been under discussion for more than a decade, but only this week did the government confirm it has approved the project.

Railway Minister Liu Zhijun hopes it will start before the end of this year. If it happens the change will be dramatic. A 12 hour journey will be cut to less than five hours and will probably be half the price of the airfare.