(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 16, 2002 ) Bombardier Transportation today unveiled at Union Station in Washington DC, the first 150-mile per hour (240 km/h) non-electric high-speed rail locomotive designed for the North American market. The state-of-the-art Bombardier JetTrain* locomotive is powered by a jet engine derived from a Pratt & Whitney PW 150, which replaces the traditional diesel engine found in most current rail equipment.

JetTrain technology was designed to offer the speed and acceleration of electric trains without the cost of building electrified rail lines. It meets all North American standards for high-speed rail. The initiative was launched in 1998 as a public-private development partnership between Bombardier Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

"Bombardier has moved the goal posts," said Pierre Lortie, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Transportation. "JetTrain high-speed rail is game-changing technology that breaks open the high-speed market throughout North America."

Among its many performance features, the locomotive is 20 per cent lighter than a conventional diesel unit with twice the acceleration. It has already undergone extensive low and high-speed dynamic testing as part of the Bombardier/FRA Research & Development program.

JetTrain is significantly more environmentally friendly than other forms of mass transportation. Under operating conditions, JetTrain greenhouse gas emissions will be at least 30 per cent lower than from a conventional diesel. As well, the JetTrain locomotive is quieter than FRA noise standards at all operating speeds.

JetTrain is the only non-electric high-speed rail technology designed to meet Tier II Passenger Equipment Safety Standards established by the FRA. Tier II standards specify minimum safety requirements related to crash energy management, rollover strength, and the ability to withstand compressive forces at speeds greater than 125 mph (200 km/h).

Market experience in Europe and now in the Northeast Corridor has consistently demonstrated that high-speed rail is an attractive and competitive alternative to both air and automobile travel for trips of 150 to 400 miles (240 to 640 km).

Bombardier Transportation manufactures 20 different intercity and high-speed products, including seven different high-speed locomotives. Bombardier has participated in the development of many of the world's leading high-speed rail systems, including four different TGVs, the ICE trains used in Germany and the Netherlands, Italy's ETR 500, China's Xinshisu, Spain's Talgo and America's Acela.

Bombardier Transportation is the global leader in the rail equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its wide range of products includes passenger rail cars and total transit systems. It also manufactures locomotives, freight cars, propulsion & controls and provides rail control solutions.

Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and services company, is a world-leading manufacturer of business jets, regional aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational products. It also provides financial services and asset management in business areas aligned with its core expertise. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, the Corporation has a workforce of some 80,000 people in 24 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2002 stood at $21.6 billion Cdn. Bombardier trades on the Toronto, Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD, BOM and BBDd.F).

Note to the editor: High-resolution visual of the JetTrain locomotive available at www.jettrain.us.

* Trademark of Bombardier Inc.

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Produced for Bombardier Transportation

Contact:


Carol Sharpe
Director, Public Affairs and Communications
North America
(450) 441-8156

Ian Lipner or Summer Stitz,
Stanton Communications
(202) 223-4933



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