ORINDA – State Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) renewed his call Friday for BART officials to publicly disclose any risks associated with the agency’s $1.5 billion contract for hundreds of new train cars.
Glazer’s call came as the Wall Street Journal reported two financial setbacks for the troubled manufacturer, Bombardier Inc., which has a history of missing deadlines and has struggled to produce BART’s new cars on the original schedule called for in the contract.
“These developments make it more important than ever for BART to be open and honest with the public about the ability of Bombardier to deliver the new cars on time — or at all,” Glazer said.
He added: “BART should also report to the public about whether its contract provides protections for the taxpayers and riders should Bombardier fail to deliver.”
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Bombardier’s stock plunged Wednesday after the US threatened serious trade sanctions against the company, which also makes jet airliners, in a dispute with Boeing Corp.
That news followed reports that Bombardier’s hopes of merging its train car business with rival Siemens AG fell apart and Siemens, a Germany company, announced plans to merge with Frances’s Alstom instead. The new combined company is expected to make it harder for Bombardier to compete.
Bombardier is under contract to build 775 new cars for BART to replace its aging, problem-ridden fleet. The so-called “Fleet of the Future” is supposed to have greater capacity and the latest technology, allowing BART to move far more passengers in the same amount of time.
But the company is behind schedule in delivering the first cars to BART, with the oft-delayed roll-out of the first ten cars expected any day. Those problems are similar to issues Bombardier is having in Toronto, where the transit commission is suing the firm for delivery delays. This summer, New York’s transit authority refused to even allow Bombardier to bid on its new subway car contract.
“The public deserves a full and open explanation from BART about how these developments might affect the agency’s plan for the new cars,” Glazer said.. “That explanation should include details about what contingency plans, if any, BART has in place.
“Breakdowns with the existing train cars are commonplace — and riders are packed like sardines during morning and afternoon commute times,” Glazer said. “We can’t afford any more delay in the delivery of the new cars.”
