Annual Report 2006 - Euromaint
Annual Report 2006 - Euromaint
Annual Report 2006 - Euromaint
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EuroMaint Rail<br />
Refurbishment contract in<br />
Norway – ground-breaking<br />
for both parties<br />
EuroMaint Rail has been commissioned by Norwegian State Railways, NSB, to refurbish 59 passenger<br />
carriages over the next two years. This is our first major order outside Sweden, and the first time Norway’s<br />
state railway company has looked beyond national borders for such a comprehensive assignment.<br />
The refurbishment contract is of strategic importance to EuroMaint<br />
Rail. It testifies that we perform well in competition with other European<br />
players and is a clear step in our international establishment.<br />
The Norwegian market has recently been deregulated and placing<br />
such a large order outside of Norway was a big decision for NSB. It<br />
also sent a clear signal to the outside world that national borders are<br />
becoming less important.<br />
At the same time it has brought us extended relations with NSB as<br />
the company acquired parts of Swedish train operator Tågkompaniet,<br />
which was already our customer, at the beginning of 2007.<br />
Modernising passenger carriages<br />
The assignment includes the modernisation and refurbishment of<br />
5 carriages on long routes in southern Norway.<br />
“For us this is an important renewal of our customer offering. To<br />
retain our competitiveness the trains must be of good quality. We are<br />
therefore carrying out extensive refurbishment over the next few years.<br />
We are looking forward to putting the modernised carriages into<br />
service,” says Rolf Roverud, Deputy CEO of NSB.<br />
“Placing such a<br />
large order outside<br />
Norway was a big<br />
decision for NSB”<br />
18<br />
International competition<br />
Several European suppliers competed for the order. Bids were assessed<br />
based on technology, price, commercial terms and experience. As part<br />
of the evaluation process, NSB carried out an audit at the workshop in<br />
Malmö. After the contract had been signed, NSB confirmed that the<br />
results from the visit had been a major consideration in the decision.<br />
“I think that, apart from a competitive price and our quality, the<br />
audit in Malmö was one of the deciding factors in winning us the<br />
order,” says Lars Åkerlind, Head of Marketing at EuroMaint Rail.<br />
“The tendering process entailed questions, answers and negotiations,<br />
and at the same time adjustments were made to the specification by<br />
both parties. This process enabled us to clearly demonstrate our ability<br />
to be receptive and meet the customer’s needs and preferences.”<br />
Planning in progress<br />
The order is for a complete refurbishment from construction to<br />
delivery which entails upgrading the comfort and environment of the<br />
carriages. It mainly involves an internal update, with a new interior<br />
and new seats, but also some technically advanced systems such as<br />
climate control.<br />
There is a great deal to plan in an interactive process with the<br />
customer, such as the choice of colours and materials. When the<br />
first carriage arrives at the workshop, all the work flows have to<br />
function properly all stages need to be planned and the material<br />
flow must run smoothly.