THUNDER BAY -- Numerous rivals of Bombardier Transportation are lining up for a possible bid on an anticipated order for streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission.
Twelve manufacturers from around the globe, as well as Bombardier, attended a pre-bidding event held at the TTC's Leslie Barns on Tuesday.
It was a response to the commission's request for information, a means of gauging market interest and capabilities of potential designers and suppliers of up to 100 streetcars by 2023 or 2024.
They included European and Chinese-based companies such as Siemens and CRRC, and CAF USA, among others.
The TTC's planning process has not advanced to a request for formal proposals, nor has the commission made a commitment to issue an RFP in the months to come.
A TTC spokesperson said in an interview in September that the TTC had not yet decided whether to seek an alternate supplier to Bombardier.
Bombardier has failed to meet some targets for the delivery of 204 cars under its current contract with the TTC, but has taken steps to increase production, and recently said it's confident it will deliver all 204 cars by the original deadline of the end of 2019.
A Bombardier official previously referred to Tuesday's session at the TTC as a "market-sounding exercise," and said the company can show it is the only manufacturer that already has a vehicle designed for Toronto's specific needs, with the established apparatus to build it.
Mid-November is the deadline for potential bidders to respond to the RFI by submitting their qualifications and capabilities to the commission.
