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Despite the slowed U.S. freight-car production pace, passenger rail-car orders are holding their own worldwide. A consortium led by Canada-based Bombardier Transportation is the latest to win a major order, this time from the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), which June 26 ordered 10 seven-car intercity tilting trains ICN.



The $123 million order includes an option until Oct. 31, 2001, for 10 additional trainsets, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $235 million.



Bombardier will be responsible for the production, assembly and commissioning of the vehicles; Alstom, for production of the bogies and tilting technology.



The 20 intercity trains, which would run between Geneva-Lausanne-Bienne-Delemont and Basle, as well as between Bienne and Zurich, are scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2004.