The consortium comprising Bombardier Transportation and Alstom signed an amendment to the initial acquisition contract of Oct. 2010, concluded with Société de transport de Montréal (STM), for the supply of an additional 153 metro cars (17 nine-car trainsets).

The value of this new order is approximately $340 million. Bombardier's share is valued at $213 million, with Alstom's share valued at $127 million.

Most of the manufacturing and the total of the final assembly of these additional vehicles will be undertaken at Bombardier’s facility in La Pocatière, in the Bas St-Laurent region of Québec, where the manufacturing of the last trainsets of STM is being completed, according to the agreed schedule. As with the first phase, Alstom’s facility will supply the bogies and the motors, as well as the train control, communication, passenger information, and video surveillance systems.

Nearly 170 Bombardier employees will be assigned to the new order, which will also involve 70 employees at the Alstom plant in Sorel-Tracy. With 60% Canadian content, the order will leverage a network of several hundred suppliers across Québec.

Through this agreement, STM will benefit from the replacement of part of its fleet at a lower cost. Each trainset can accommodate 8% more passengers, which represents thousands of additional riders annually. In addition, the AZUR metro cars have breakthrough features that demonstrate their comfort, reliability and safety, including:

• Open gangways allowing passengers to walk freely from one end of the train to the other.

• Twenty-seven percent wider doors for faster passenger entry and exit.

• An improved ventilation system.

• A state-of-the-art electronic passenger information system.

• Onboard cameras and a two-way intercom system connecting passengers with the driver.