Passenger Rail, Rail Supply, Rolling stock & Rail Vehicle Design

Bombardier Transportation boss upbeat on Australian market

Bombardier Transportation president Laurent Troger says he sees a significant amount of opportunities coming from Australia over the next 10 years.

Troger spoke with Rail Express on the sidelines of the InnoTrans exhibition in Berlin on Wednesday.

He echoed Bombardier’s recent annual report, which singled out Australia as a key growth market.

“Australia is a fantastic opportunity to grow,” Troger told Rail Express. “Politicians have decided to invest massively in rail infrastructure, and also in new trains. We are well positioned in both the infrastructure side, and the train side.

“We can see those projects emerging consistently. That’s not only a political promise, that’s real projects.”

Troger says Bombardier is well positioned to take advantage of the growing Australian market thanks to its history in the region, and its approach.

“We are today delivering some critical projects in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth,” he said. “What is clear is a solution for Australia requires some customisation.

“You cannot take a product or solution from elsewhere, land in Australia and say, ‘Here it is.’ So the fact we’ve been in Australia for so many years; we know the local product well, and we can connect this with a global product solution.

“We know to customise only what needs to be customised, and so we have a unique advantage in this area.”

Troger said Bombardier had “a significant amount of resources” in Australia, adding “we intend to grow these resources”.

“Australia has quite a fantastic momentum,” he said. “Urbanisation in Australia is growing very fast. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth; these are very big localisations. The demand is going to be important.”

Troger said political support for rail in Australia is in line with a growing preference for rail from politicians around the world.

“Politicians have realised the mobility equation cannot be solved by cars, and by new roads. There is a need for an alternative solution, and they have realised that rail and trains are a very good alternative as a mobility solution,” he said.

“Everywhere you go in the world, you see a direct correlation between the GDP and the passenger traffic. The more you grow your economy, the more you have to move people.”