GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation  inaugurated a new final assembly hall at its Bautzen plant in Sachsen on June 15.

Built at a cost of €8m as part of a €30m investment in the site, the hall has a production area of 8 100 m², with the capacity to assemble and fit out up to 600 inter-city, regional, suburban, metro or light rail vehicles a year. Around 500 employees will work in the facility, and Bombardier expects its opening to reduce logistics, energy and maintenance costs by €1m/year. 

‘Today is a good day for Bautzen and Oberlausitz’, said Sachsen Minister-President Michael Kretschmer. ‘The investment now planned will secure 1 000 jobs here at Bombardier, and many more for the suppliers in the region. I am grateful to the company for its clear commitment. We have been through some difficult negotiations and some very uncertain times. I am very grateful to all those who supported the retention of the plants in both Bautzen and Görlitz. Now, the focus is on creating favourable prospects for the Görlitz plant as well, because the potential that exists there is not yet exhausted.’