The first BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 cars, the turnkey e-mobility solution for Thailand’s next rail lines, were presented to Thailand at a special ceremony in October 2020.
Celebrating Thailand’s first monorail trains
On October 1, 2020, Mr. Claudio Tiraferri, Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Thailand, joined the presentation of the first BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 cars for Bangkok to MRTA governor, Pakapong Sirikantaramas, at a special event presided over by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. The event, joined by the Ambassador of Canada to Thailand, H.E. Dr. Sarah Taylor, and other VIP guests including representatives from the Northern Bangkok Monorail Co., Ltd. and Eastern Bangkok Monorail Co., Ltd., marked a major milestone in the construction of the new MRT Pink and Yellow Lines that will run from Khae Rai to Min Buri and Lat Phrao to Samrong, respectively.
The sleek and quiet, driverless INNOVIA Monorail 300 system is being provided by global rail industry leader Bombardier Transportation. The company has been active in Thailand’s railway market for over 23 years, from its Bangkok-based regional rail engineering centre.
Mr. Tiraferri stated, “The iconic new monorails will run at speeds up to 80 km per hour with system capacity of over 28,000 passengers per-hour, per-direction. This means passengers can travel quickly, while saving power and cost and increasing revenue for the city as they go about their daily tasks.”
Back in 1997, Bombardier Transportation embarked on Thailand’s first railway upgrade project, driven by the successful electronic interlocking enhancement at Hua Mak Station. As one of the first such systems delivered successfully in the region, this marked Thailand out as Asia’s first innovative rail system pioneer.
The company’s credibility has been further elevated by several projects, including providing its BOMBARDIER CITYFLO rail control solution for the MRT Purple Line and the entire BTS Skytrain lines. Plus, the company is also providing its INNOVIA 300 automated people mover system for the recent, nationally acclaimed Gold Line, Thailand’s first driverless mass transit system, which will deliver passengers to ICONSIAM, through one of Bangkok’s highest-density traffic districts.
In recent months, the team has remained operational, observing remote working guidelines and project site safety regulations, to continue to support its customers and infrastructure development projects in Thailand and across the region.
Ms. Yuwaree Chulya, Head of Finance for Bombardier Transportation’s Southeast Asia region, who has been with Bombardier Transportation in Thailand since its inception, commented, “I am so proud to have been present at the arrival of these pioneering transportation solutions for Bangkok, and to have seen our team develop over the last 23 years, becoming the highly-skilled railway technology experts that we see today, making a significant contribution to the development of Thailand’s rail systems.”
Bombardier’s INNOVIA 300 automated people mover system for Bangkok’s Gold Line
In adhering to its “built to last” vision, Bombardier Transportation places great value on its high-technology innovation investment and aims to contribute its expertise to the wider industry.
The company in Thailand is recognised for growing local employment, with its team comprising over 600 local highly-skilled personnel, as well as encouraging female employment support and equal opportunities to achieve high-level positions. Moreover, its Regional Centres for Signalling and Engineering based in Bangkok, are working on innovative transportation solutions throughout Thailand, the region and worldwide, as far afield as Melbourne and Frankfurt.
Bombardier’s high-technology Regional Engineering Centre in Bangkok (photo taken prior to COVID-19)
This growing presence has made Bombardier a strong contributor to the Thai economy. In 2019 alone, the company delivered almost 400,000 hours for export projects in Asia-Pacific and the world, with a value of 1.6 billion baht.
Bombardier Transportation has also been instrumental in founding the Institute of Railway Signalling Engineers Thailand in 2016 and, since 2013, has launched partnerships with Thailand’s leading educational institutes, including Kasetsart University, Navamindradhiraj University’s Urban Community College of Bangkok, and Mahidol University, to spread “Rail Engineering Education” to the next generations.
Today, the Bombardier Transportation Thailand team is forging ahead, working on over 30 rail projects in over 20 countries. Among these, the company is deeply involved in the State Railway of Thailand’s double-track project on its Northern Line, which should be completed this year, as well as delivering its rail control and wayside system integration for the BTS Skytrain’s latest extensions to open in December.
Mr. Tiraferri commented, “With our projects ramping up, Bombardier is committed to expanding our contribution in Thailand as well as to its highly-skilled staff who will continue to provide rail system solutions to new destinations while continuously innovating technologies.”
To discover more about the company’s portfolio of projects, please visit: https://www.bombardier.com/en/worldwide-presence/country.thailand.html.
