BERLIN (CP) -- Bombardier Transportation says it has received an order worth US$474 million to provide an additional 49 regional double-deck trains to France's national railway.
The order is part of an option from the "Regio2N" contract signed between the Berlin-based subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. and French national railway SNCF on Feb. 24. Six French regions have ordered 129 Bombardier trains so far.
The initial order from SNCF was for 80 double-decker electric regional trains valued at 800 million euros, or about US$1.1 billion at current exchange rates.
Subsequent orders could increase deliveries to 860 trains, which could total about eight billion euros -- the equivalent of US$11 billion.
Bombardier developed a new double-deck train platform especially for the Regio2N that features technical innovations and reduced maintenance costs and energy consumption.
The company says the order will increase the production rate of Bombardier's site in Crespin, France up to a maximum of 60 trains per year.
Bombardier will design, build and test the vehicles at its facility in Crespin, which employs 2,000 people, including 500 engineers and managers.
Bombardier says the first deliveries will start in June 2013, while all of the 129 trains ordered to date will be delivered by mid-2016.
Bombardier is a manufacturer of transportation equipment, including business and commercial aircraft, rail transportation equipment and systems.
Its shares were trading down three cents to $5.84 apiece Wednesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
