SM4, Finland

This project marked another milestone for BFG, being the first major rail interiors project completed by the Group, and which would eventually lead to many more similar projects in the future. The SM4 units were initially ordered from CAF in Spain, but later license built by French train builder Alstom, with whom BFG enjoys a strategic partnership as a preferred supplier.

BFG entered this project at a crisis point in April 2003. The previous supplier had failed to meet the requirement and the entire project was critically delayed. Not only was the timeline extremely tight, but the scope of the work was larger and more varied than any of BFG’s previous experience. It would be the first time BFG took on a major rail interiors project, and there were no design drawings available to work from. Nonetheless BFG rose to the challenge and turned it around in record time. By May it was ready for First Article Inspection (FAI) and by June it was ready to make deliveries.

The challenges posed by the project required flawless coordination between BFG and Alstom to fast-track approvals and minimise delays. At the time BFG did not have the robotics technology it has today, and so all the required tools were made by hand. The panels were manufactured at BFG Bahrain and delivered to Alstom for final assembly at its plant in Reichshoffen. In an unprecedented move, BFG also placed its own engineers at Reichshoffen to install the panels onto the trains.

Although BFG’s internationally recognised standards, aesthetic finish, and cost competitiveness were all assets, the most important factor was the Group’s level of responsiveness and willingness to cooperate with the customer to deliver a satisfactory result. BFG also holds the capability to draw expertise from a wide variety of industries and is not constrained by the rigid hierarchical organisational structures that its competitors have.

Race against time Innovative Manoeuvres A Trustworthy Partner