"Facing the challenge of an increasingly competitive market, we are proud to reinforce our presence in Quebec by making major investments to enhance our competitive edge and maintain our leadership," explained Raymond Bachant, president, Bombardier Transportation, North America. "The Design Centre is a unifying project that will encourage greater involvement by our customers, suppliers and partners in the research and development of pioneering technologies that could be included in our manufacturing processes," he added.

The new centre, to be built in Saint-Bruno, Que, will be used for designing and prototyping passenger rail vehicles. Following the product development stage, the vehicles will be manufactured at Bombardier's various manufacturing facilities around North America.

In creating the new centre, Bombardier Transportation will consolidate its product development expertise for future projects carried out across North America at one location. Construction will begin at the end of the summer, with the opening slated for Spring 2012.

The other investment announcement — a newly built rolling stock test track at its manufacturing plant in La Pocatiere, Que. — will allow engineers to perform qualification tests on the new metro cars Bombardier is building for the Societe de transport de Montreal.

Bombardier Transportation will also make the La Pocatiere test track multifunctional, so that tests can be carried out on all electrical multiple units powered by a third rail, including rolling stock on rubber tires. The one-kilometre track will be entirely under cover. Dynamic brake testing and maximum speed testing are just some of the advanced processes that will be carried out there. A static testing site will also be built alongside the new test track.

To date, the engineering and design work for the new test track has been completed. Construction work on the track is set to begin at the end of the summer.

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