THUNDER BAY — A staff report prepared for the Toronto Transit Commission contains hints that Bombardier is in a good position to win another order for streetcars.
TTC spokesperson Brad Ross won't comment on that interpretation, telling Tbnewswatch on Thursday that "No decisions will be made until 2019. We'll let the report speak for itself at this point."
However, Dominic Pasqualino, the head of Unifor Local 1075 at Thunder Bay's Bombardier plant feels the company is in line for the next contract, because "If they gave that to another supplier, then they would have to do all the work that we have already done, set up tooling and jigs, and order parts and do all that."
The report expected to be discussed by the TTC board next week details the results of a Request for Information the commission issued to manufacturers last fall.
Out of the ten companies that responded with information about their ability to supply 60 streetcars, staff say, four or five "would be good candidates" for bids.
The document does not identify the favoured suppliers, but numerous references to Bombardier suggest that missed production targets with the existing streetcar contract are not as big an issue as they became last year.
A TTC board motion last July asked the board to take a look at other suppliers in light of "the less than outstanding delivery record" of Bombardier.
The new report states that Bombardier's "production rate continues to increase and quality continues to improve, particularly in Thunder Bay where streetcars are completed. While challenges continue, TTC and Bombardier remain committed in working together to identify areas of constraint, improved efficiencies and the implementation of corrective actions."
It also says that the company continues to prepare for a second production line at its Kingston plant, where the first car is due in October, and that this "will add confidence that Bombardier will recover and meet the original commitment for 204 new streetcars by the end of 2019."
The report further notes that Bombardier could start delivering cars under a new order by the third quarter of 2020, which is when the TTC would want them because of a continuing surge in population and employment in downtown Toronto.
In contrast, none of the other potential bidders would be able to deliver even a prototype vehicle before 2023, with completed delivery happening as late as 2025.
Bombardier's vehicle, the report adds, "is proven to meet technical requirements," and maintaining the same supplier would result in numerous efficiencies.
Finally, it states that the best price for cars from an alternate manufacturer would be "in the range" of Bombardier's price.
Pasqualino told Tbnewswatch the Thunder Bay plant will be out of work unless it gets a new contract in 2020.
He said the plant has met the last few production deadlines for the TTC, and is working hard to meet its next one at the end of June.
"Having these deadlines met, I think, builds some confidence with the customer so that they see we are on track to deliver what we are saying we are going to be doing. It's always going to be a battle because this is such an aggressive schedule right now."
In an interview with Tbnewswatch last year, Bombardier spokesperson Eric Prud'Homme said he couldn't answer a "hypothetical" question about which facility might build the vehicles should the company win the order for 60 additional cars.
