New Bombardier Assembly Hall Opens in Saxony, Germany
© Bombardier Transportation
The German division of Bombardier Transportation has opened a new final assembly hall at its Bautzen site in Saxony. The new hall can manufacture up to 600 carriages per year and its production spectrum ranges from trams to regional, intercity, suburban and underground trains. It is the company’s most advanced assembly hall and the increased use of digital technology can facilitate the simultaneous production of three different types of vehicle in it.
There are 8,100 square metres of factory floor space in the hall, which employs 500 workers. 5,000 cubic meters of concrete, 1,300 tons of steel, and 24 km of electrical cables were used during the construction period, which utilised the services of several Saxon suppliers and contractors.
The start of operations at the hall was celebrated with an official ceremony by representatives from Bombardier and senior politicians from the government in Saxony.
Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of Saxony, said:
“Today is a good day for Bautzen and Upper Lusatia. The investment now planned will secure 1,000 jobs here at Bombardier, and many more for the suppliers in the region. I am grateful to the company for its clear commitment. We have been through some difficult negotiations and some very uncertain times. The goal here is to set future standards for production in the railway industry.”
Michael Fohrer, Head of Bombardier Transportation in Germany, said:
“The new hall and modern Industry 4.0 production mark the start of a new era at the traditional 170-year-old Bautzen site. We are investing in, and establishing, a competence centre for the series production of regional and intercity trains as well as commuter and metro trains, and trams. These are powerful arguments for the plant’s bright and promising future.”
Bombardier invested around 8 million euros in the assembly hall and the total investment in the site, including the production hall, is approximately 30 million euros. The annual costs of operating and maintaining it are expected to be 100 million euros less than for the previous facilities.
