Adtranz
Encyclopedia
The company was created in 1996 in the merger of Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
's and ABB's rail equipment manufacturing facilities, in 1999, DaimlerChrysler (now Daimler AG) bought ABB's shares and changed its official name to DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems. Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
acquired the company in 2001, at which time Adtranz was the world's second largest manufacturer of such equipment. The acquisition significantly increased the size of Bombardier's rail industry holdings making Bombardier the largest rail equipment manufacturer in the world.
Adtranz manufactured mainline locomotives, high-speed, regional, metro and underground passenger trains, trams and people movers as well as freight wagons. Non rolling stock businesses included railway electrification and signalling infrastructure.
History
On 8 May 1995 ABB and Daimler-Benz proposed a merger of their rail industry related activities into a single autonomous 50:50 joint venture; the combined group would be the largest rail-technology company in the world. In Germany the combined company, along with SiemensSiemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
would have a duopoly
Duopoly
A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
or near-duopoly in the market areas of electric locomotives, mainline and regional electric and diesel multiple units, trams and metros, and catenary systems. In the EU, outside Germany, the merger would have meant no significant market share increase, including Scandinavia, where ABB had a dominant market share. The proposed merger was suspended pending a report on any potential anti-competitive effects of the merger, on 18 October 1995 the merger was allowed, provided that both companies divest themselves of any shares in Kiepe (traction components company). The merger came into force on 1 January 1996.
The company's manufacturing facilities and product lines were rationalised, including a standard form of car body; after 18 months manufacturing costs had been reduced by 30%, revenues and orders also rose from 1996-7. However the company continued to be loss making, losing $111 million in 1997. Polish manufacturer Pafawag
Pafawag
Pafawag is a Polish locomotive manufacturer based in Wrocław. The company became part of Adtranz in 1997 as Adtranz Pafawag, and in 2001 part of Bombardier Transportation...
was acquired in 1997 and the facility modernised, controlling interests in MÁV Dunakeszi,See also Bombardier MÁV Kft. (in Hungarian) Hungary and Schindler Waggon Switzerland were also acquired by the end of 1997.
In March 1998 Adtranz presented a set of new product brands for modular product platforms, with designs that can be adapted for the specific requirements of different customers: the Innovia guided transport vehicle, the Incentro
Incentro
The Incentro is a model of tram manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. It is a five-section 100% low-floor articulated tram, built for bi-directional operation and capable of speeds up to 80 km/h...
low floor tram, the Itino diesel multiple unit, the Crusaris medium-high speed train (based on the GMB Class 71 flytoget trains), and the Octeon electric locomotive.Derived from the DBAG Class 145
DBAG Class 145 and 146
The DBAG Class 145 and DBAG Class 146 are Bo'Bo' mainline electric locomotives built by Adtranz primarily for the Deutsche Bahn at the end of the 1990s. The Class 145 is the freight version for DB Cargo; the Class 146 is the passenger version for DB Regio...
locomotives. See also section: DBAG Class 145 family, Adtranz Octeon platform in TRAXX
TRAXX
Bombardier TRAXX is a modular product platform of electric and Diesel-electric mainline locomotives built by Bombardier Transportation, built in both freight and passenger variants...
A new diesel locomotive design with engine and electrical traction system provided by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
was introduced, named "Blue Tiger
Blue Tiger (locomotive)
The Blue Tiger is a type of high powered diesel-electric locomotive developed by AdTranz in association with General Electric.- History and design :The prototype was unveiled in 1996....
". Adtranz intended to consolidate its product range around these families once on-going deliveries are finished.
Adtranz continued to make an operating loss in 1998, attributed to earlier contracts with underestimated costs, as well as technical problems with products. The same year brought an order for 400 locomotives for Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
, as well as the acquisition of Swiss locomotive manufacturer Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik AG (SLM).
In January 1999 ABB sold its 50% stake in Adtranz to DaimlerChrysler for $472million, taking up a previous agreement made on the formation of the joint venture whereby DaimlerChrysler was required to purchase ABB's stake.
In 2000 Adtranz finally achieved profitability. In preparation for a sale from DaimlerChrysler buyers for non-core rolling stock manufacturing businesses were sought. In January 2000 The Greenbrier Companies
The Greenbrier Companies
The Greenbrier Companies is a publicly traded transportation manufacturing corporation based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States. Predominantly an American company, Greenbrier specializes in transportation services, notably barge and railroad car manufacturing, railroad car refurbishment, and...
acquired the freight wagon business based in Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
. The electrical installations business (overhead electrification systems) was sold to Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
in late 2000 for €153million. No buyer was found for the railway signalling division.
In August 2000 Bombardier Inc. announced that it was to buy Adtranz for $711million, considered to be a low price. The sale was cleared by the European Union in April 2001; amongst the guarantees required to be made by Bombardier was that it would divest and license its product range in the regional and tram sectors to Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail AG , based in Bussnang, Switzerland, is a Swiss manufacturer of rail passenger cars.In 1942 Ernst Stadler founded the Stadler Engineering Office which later became Stadler Rail.- Factories :...
due to the large German market share of the new group in those areas, making Stadler a viable independent company. The takeover came into legal effect on 1 May 2001 with a final price of $725million. In 2002 Bombardier announced that it was to sue DaimlerChrysler for $867million due to alleged misleading financial information regarding Adtranz provided by DaimlerChrysler during the takeover, in September 2004 the case was settled with the companies agreeing to a $209million reduction in price.
Brand
Landor Associates
Landor Associates is a San Francisco-based brand and creative design consultancy. Founded by Walter Landor and his wife Josephine in 1941, Landor pioneered many of the research, design and consulting methodologies that are now standard in the branding industry.-Operations:Landor offers brand...
as part of the corporate identity of ABB Daimler Benz Transportation. It is an acronym derived from selected letters of the complete name of the first company using it: ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, with a z in place of an s at the end for the name to imply a complete product platform from A to Z. It was capitalised by the companies with a capital D as ADtranz, following the standard English text formatting and capitalization rules it is spelled with a small d as Adtranz. Above the text ADtranz, the company logo included a green dot, symbolizing a signal set on green, as well as the environmental friendliness of railways. Beside ADtranz there was also the slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
ADtranz - we speak railways in use. Both brands have been discontinued after the take over of DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems by Bombardier. The rights on the slogan have been deleted 2007 and of the name Adtranz 2008.
Products
Locomotives
- E464FS Class E464The E464 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1990s for hauling light trains, especially for commuter service. They were acquired by FS Trenitalia to replace the old E424 and E646, dating from the 1940s and 1950s...
electric locomotive - Norges Statsbaner El 18NSB El 18NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
locomotives
Subway rail vehicles
- M4 subway/elevated cars for SEPTA Market–Frankford Line, in Philadelphia, PA USA
- R142 IRT Subway carsR142 (New York City Subway car)The R142 is the model class of the newest generation of IRT cars for the New York City Subway. Built by Bombardier in Plattsburgh, New York and Barre, Vermont from 1999–2002, the fleet, along with the R142A, are the new backbone of the IRT fleet....
in New York City - London Underground 1992 StockLondon Underground 1992 StockThe 1992 Tube Stock is the type of train used on the Central line and Waterloo & City line of the London Underground.-Construction:The 1992 Stock was built by ABB for the Central line as the result of the extensive testing of the three 1986 tube stock prototype trains...
, also as British Rail Class 482British Rail Class 482This article concerns the trains used on the Waterloo & City Line immediately prior to its takeover by London Underground in 1994. For their service after 1994, see London Underground 1992 Stock...
High speed trains
- German ICE 2 high speed train
- Swedish X 2000X 2000X 2000 is the brand name of Sweden's tilting 200 km/h high-speed train class X2, which was constructed by Kalmar Verkstad in Kalmar, Sweden and operated by SJ. It was launched in 1990 as a first-class only train with a meal included in the ticket price, and free use of the train's fax machine...
high-speed train - Norges Statsbaner BM73NSB Class 73NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
and Flytoget BM71 high-speed EMUs
Passenger trains
- Swedish ReginaRegina (train)The Regina is a Swedish model of electric multiple unit passenger train, manufactured by Bombardier Transportation . It is used by the national passenger railway SJ along with numerous regional and private operators, in variants designated X50, X51, X52, X53, X54 and X55, and in two- and...
intercity electric multiple units - Adtranz-CAF Series 6000 trains (include MTR A-Stock EMUMTR A-Stock EMUThe A-Stock is an Electric Multiple Unit that operates on the MTR rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. There are two variants, one used on the conventional Tung Chung Line, and a more luxurious version used on the Airport Express. The vehicle interiors were designed for MTR by Jones...
) - IC3 FlexlinerIC3The IC3 is a Danish-built high-comfort medium/long distance diesel multiple-unit train. The sets were built by ABB Scandia . This train model has been operating in Denmark and Sweden since 1989...
- RegioSwingerRegioSwingerThe RegioSwinger is a tilting Diesel Multiple Unit passenger train used for fast regional traffic on unelectrified lines.- Development and Service :...
tilting train - CountryLink XplorerCountryLink XplorerThe Xplorer is a Diesel Multiple Unit train used on country passenger rail services in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of two types of passenger rollingstock used by CountryLink, the government owned operator of country trains . The Xplorer trains entered service in 1993, and are externally...
diesel passenger train in Australia - TurbostarTurbostarTurbostar is the name given to a family of diesel multiple units built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
and ElectrostarElectrostarElectrostar is the name given to a series of related electric multiple-unit passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England... - CityRail Endeavour railcar diesel passenger train in New South Wales, Australia
- Suburban Multiple Units and Interurban Multiple Units used in South East QueenslandSouth East QueenslandSouth East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, Australia. - C20Stockholm MetroThe Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...
metro stock, used in Stockholm, Sweden
Trams
- Flexity OutlookFlexity OutlookThe Flexity Outlook is a family of 100% low-floor articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Flexity product line , Flexity Outlook cars fall into two distinct sub-categories with dramatically different appearances...
tram - VariotramVariotramVariotram is a German-designed articulated low-floor tram model. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variotram has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option...
- Incentro TramIncentroThe Incentro is a model of tram manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. It is a five-section 100% low-floor articulated tram, built for bi-directional operation and capable of speeds up to 80 km/h...
Light rail passenger vehicles
- Manila Light Rail Transit SystemManila Light Rail Transit SystemThe Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the LRT, is a metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. Although referred to as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it has many characteristics of a rapid transit system, such...
Yellow Line 2nd Generation Light Rail Vehicles(with Hyundai Rotem) - Ankara Metro Ankaray Light Metro M1 and M2 (with SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and AnsaldoBreda)
See also
- Facilities inherited on foundation: Kalmar Verkstad (Sweden), Strømmens VærkstedStrømmens VærkstedStrømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specializing in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation...
(Norway), ABB TecnomasioTecnomasioTecnomasio was an Italian scientific and precision instrument company founded in the 1860s. By the beginning of the 20th century the company has begun to produce electrical equipment...
Vado Ligure (Italy), Henschel-Werke, AEG SchienenfahrzeugeLEW HennigsdorfThe rail vehicle factory in Hennigsdorf, Germany was founded in 1910 by AEG. Locomotive production began in 1913, and in the 1930s absorbed the work of the August Borsig locomotive factory, being renamed the Borsig Lokomotiv Werke GmbH until 1944...
in Hennigsdorf (Germany), Derby Carriage and Wagon WorksDerby Carriage and Wagon WorksDerby Carriage and Wagon Works was built by the Midland Railway in Derby, England. The plant has been through many changes of ownership and is currently owned by Bombardier Transportation, a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. of Canada. As of 2011 it is the only remaining passenger rolling stock...
, BRELBRELBritish Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
(UK)
Sources
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- Note: only German text is considered legally authentic, see:
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