Ansaldobreda, S.P.A.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ansaldobreda S.P.A. is a company based in Naples, Italy and responsible for designing and manufacturing railway and mass transit vehicles. The company was formed by the merger of the Ansaldo Trasporti unit with Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie.
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Ansaldobreda supplied automated trains for the Copenhagen Metro. The company has recently become known for delaying the delivery of the new IC4 high-speed DMUs and refusing to acknowledge penalties from the government because of these delays.
Breda has long been the main Italian manufacturer of railway vehicles. Its vehicles for FS Trenitalia include:
The Dutch operator NS Hispeed has placed an order for nine high-speed trainsets for operation on the new high-speed line between Brussels and Amsterdam. The Belgian operator NMBS ordered another 3. However, Ansaldobreda is also not able to deliver these trains in time. Coincedently the line operates next to the city of Breda, in the southern Netherlands.
Ansaldobreda is also responsible for providing the new fleet of Classe 72 EMUs for NSB's local trains in Norway, replacing the aging BM69 units.
Ansaldobreda has provided new trams for Gothenburg. They have had extensive problems of delivering and the trams they have delivered have been of poor quality. The biggest problems has been driver back problems and noise.
The company took part in the production of light rail vehicles for the Ankaray line of Ankara Metro.
Breda's presence in the United States began with their manufacturing of light rail vehicles for Cleveland's Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA Rapid Transit, or "The Rapid," or RTA) in 1982-83. Other projects the company made for the US market include:
- The Washington Metro 2000, 3000, and 4000-series rail cars (manufactured 1982-91)
- Breda also assisted in rehabilitation of the 1000-series rail cars manufactured by Rohr Industries.
- The A650 subway cars for the Red Line in Los Angeles, California (manufactured 1988-96)
- Currently, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (operator of the Red Line) has an order for 50 new P2550 light rail vehicles with Breda for the Gold Line.
- The LRV2 (1400 series) and LRV3 (1500 series) light rail vehicles for the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) (manufactured 1995-2001). These cars replaced the older and unreliable Boeing-Vertol SLRV fleet.
- The Type 8 LRV for Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) (manufactured 1999-2005 with interruptions) These LRVs had extensive problems, and Breda's attempt to gain the contract for an order of MBTA Blue Line cars was refused despite Breda having the low bid.
- The CQ312 series cars for Atlanta's Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) system (manufactured 2000-02).
- In 1990, Breda also manufactured 254 Dual Powered Diesel-Electric Articulated Buses for use in the Metro Transit Tunnel in Seattle, Washington. The fleet has recently been converted to electric only trolley service because of the tunnel's temporary closure for Light Rail construction and the limited availability of replacement parts.
- Currently, Ansaldobreda is rehabilitating the NFTA's fleet of 27 LRV. In 2008 the cars will be restored four at a time. All cars are scheduled to be rehabilitated by the end of 2010.