ISRAEL: A €104m firm order for Bombardier Transportation to supply a further 54 Twindexx Vario double-deck coaches was signed by Israel Railways on December 31. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed by August 2020.
The order has been placed within a October 2010 framework agreement. The latest order covers 11 push-pull driving cars and 43 intermediate coaches, including 11 with dedicated spaces for passengers with reduced mobility. The driving cars will work with the Traxx electric locomotives which are being supplied by Bombardier, and thus will not require diesel generators to feed auxiliary systems such as air-conditioning. The driver's desks will also be redesigned to be identical to those of the Traxx electric locomotives.
‘The new coaches will be fully compatible for revenue operation on ISR’s first electrified line, the A1, which connects Tel Aviv and Jerusalem’, said Avi Zalman, Head of Development & Engineering at ISR’s Rolling Stock Division. ‘ISR and Bombardier teams collaborated closely to develop the necessary technical adjustments required to enable the trains to operate in tunnels and on electrified lines. We also considered local and international standards to ensure and further increase safety for both operator and passengers, while keeping comfort in mind.’
