Two modern streetcars, shipped from Germany, arrived at the Port of Tacoma last week. They are being transported to Vancouver, B.C., on special-purpose road trailers.
The streetcars arrived in Tacoma onboard the Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessel Tomar Dec. 2, after a 10,460-mile journey from Germany (Bremerhaven-Zeebrugge-Southampton-Panama Canal-Port Hueneme-Tacoma).
The streetcars were manufactured by Bombardier Transportation, the world's leading supplier of rail equipment, transportation systems and services.
Each of the two cars is about 105 feet long and comprised of five articulated modules. Transporting the cars from Tacoma to Vancouver, B.C. was handled by 21st Century Transport, Inc., with assistance from Chapman Hauling.
FRACHT, the International Freight Forwarder Group, handled all of the logistical planning for the Bombardier shipment. FRACHT designed and built the bridge between the mafi trailer and the highway trailer for the trams, and also the ramp that was used to roll the trams off the highway trailer to the rail for use in Vancouver, B.C. This same equipment has also been used to ship many trams around the world.FRACHT company officials visited the Port of Tacoma last April to begin develop and implement the complete logistics plan to support the Bombardier shipment. This included the challenge of finding a location to roll 90-foot trams onto a straight rail from a 90-foot plus truck trailer. The company also selected the trucker, shipping line, port, and arranged all the transportation fro the Bombardier equipment.
Bombardier Transportation, in partnership with the City of Vancouver, will provide free streetcar service for Vancouver residents and visitors on the Olympic Line from mid-January to mid-March 2010. They are expected to carry about 500,000 passengers during that time.
"We are delighted to bring the first 100% low-floor streetcar to North America," said Steve Hall, Bombardier's general manager in Vancouver. "The people of Metro Vancouver will now have the opportunity to experience first-hand the latest in European streetcar design during the excitement of the 2010 Winter Games."
"We are very pleased to be handling this equipment," said Susan Becklund, director of operational services at the Port of Tacoma. "The teamwork and support on this project provided by our longshore labor force as well as the Washington State Department of Transportation have been outstanding."
NOTE: Photos available upon request. E-mail Kathy Tomandl.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009, were $19.7 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com. Learn more about the Flexity streetcar here.
FRACHT is the International Freight Forwarder Group, headquartered in Switzerland. Established in 1955, the company has the goal of delivering innovative, tailor-made logistics solutions that give their customers quantifiable added value. Learn more about FRACHT at: http://www.fracht.com/index.ph
About the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks. Learn more at www.portoftacoma.com.
Contact:
Rod Koon, director of communications at the Port of Tacoma
253-383-9482 or rkoon@portoftacoma.com
Kathryn Nickerson, director of communications at Bombardier Transportation
613-539-5451 or kathryn.nickerson@ca.transport.bombardier.com
NOTE: Content updated--1.21.10