Bombardier to close certain train plants, cut jobs

Bombardier Inc. said Wednesday it will close some of its European train-making plants and cut jobs at various headquarters of its transportation unit. Paul Tellier, president and chief executive, said Bombardier had "too many" train making facilities after its 2001 acquisition of Germany's Adtranz and other European acquisitions. "We cannot go on having some facilities operating at 35% or 40% of capacity," Tellier said. In addition, jobs will be cut at the train making unit's head offices in Canada and Europe, according to a Reuters report. Some of the cuts and closures will come in 2004 and others in 2005. Bombardier Transportation has 35,000 employees, mainly at dozens of facilities in Europe, said the news service.