Is Bombardier a British Company?

[Kingfisher200262]

So to summarise the above, Bombardier is a British company, because it has a train assembly subsidiary which is a UK entity.

Alstom and Siemens are British companies, because they have UK maintenance arms that are also UK entities.

So, it follows that if a Chinese company were to establish a UK entity, establish a train assembly facility and carry out train maintenance, all creating UK employment, they would then be a British company.

That'll do for me.

 

[Wyvern]

The Airbus you fly in will consist of wings from UK, engines from USA, fuselage from Germany and assembled in France.

Unless they are made by Rolls-Royce

Latest Rail mag has an article about the RMT objecting to Siemens own design of bogie on the Thameslink trains.

They think the Bombardier Flexx Eco (aka B5000) bogie should be used instead. Unfortunately this bogie's production line is also in Germany.

I thought the bogies were Norwegian?

 

[T163R]

So to summarise the above, Bombardier is a British company, because it has a train assembly subsidiary which is a UK entity.

Alstom and Siemens are British companies, because they have UK maintenance arms that are also UK entities.

So, it follows that if a Chinese company were to establish a UK entity, establish a train assembly facility and carry out train maintenance, all creating UK employment, they would then be a British company.

That'll do for me.

Stupid, isn't it ?

 

[Hydro]

I don't consider any of those companies British. I'm not sure anyone else was claiming that either. They have British locations, but they're certainly not founded in Britain.

This is what mass globalisation does, corporate entities don't really occupy national borders as we are used to.

 

[Greenback]

I don't consider any of those companies British. I'm not sure anyone else was claiming that either. They have British locations, but they're certainly not founded in Britain.

This is what mass globalisation does, corporate entities don't really occupy national borders as we are used to.

Correct. It is pertinent to question what exactly being British means now. BP no longer consider themselves a British company.

 

[Wyvern]

BP no longer consider themselves a British company.

As we were at pains to point out not too long ago!

 

[WatcherZero]

I thought Siemens employed more people in the UK (around 10,000) than Bombardier (3000)?

 

[jon0844]

In the article, it described Bombardier as a German company.

HAHA! So when it was about losing a tender, it was a poor British company from Derby.

Now they've discovered how crap so many Bombardier trains are, it's German! Even though it's a Canadian company with a German HQ.

I still hate taking the Victoria Line. It's still far too hot, so the trains are still generating too much heat, which is a nightmare all the time - the door problem presumably just a one off cock-up. I'm not taking away anything from the severity of the issue, but I'm more concerned about getting off a train all hot and sweaty than the chance of the doors remaining open, or opening due to the odd actions of a driver.

I presume the driver has overridden a safety system as the doors often get held open, then cause problems which buggers up the train. Perhaps the only way to keep trains moving is to override the system - thanks to the stupidity of passengers.

Maybe the reason Bombardier is described as a German company, is because it's bad news about failing trains that's being reported. If the news had been good, perhaps about new trains performing way beyond everyone's expectations, it would be a British company. Or am I just being cynical?

No you're absolutely 100% right. The media writes what suits the argument/story and what it wants you to think. We all hate Germans remember. Oh, wait, the media tells us that we do.

 

[atclfc]

I believe that Siemens employs 16,000 in the UK. Not sure how many related to rail though.

 

[WestCoast]

I believe that Siemens employs 16,000 in the UK. Not sure how many related to rail though.

Siemens has been present in the UK for 168 years. 50% of those 16,000 jobs are involved in UK manufacturing and engineering. In addition, 650 UK employees are involved in the service and maintenance of rolling stock.

So yes, the media is very one-sided.

 

[Greenback]

Siemens had an involvement in industry in Swansea many years ago. The site of one of their works is marked by the name of the road that crosses the area now - Siemens Close.