Tag: Le Creusot

Alstom to Supply 19 Additional Metros for Line 11 of the Ile-de-France

July 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom (OTC: ALSMY) will supply 19 five-car MP14 metros with driver’s cab for line 11 of the Île-de-France Mobilités network operated by RATP, for a total value of 132 million euro. This order, which is 100% funded by Île-de-France Mobilités, falls within the framework of the MP14 contract signed in March 2015 between RATP (mandated by Île-de-France Mobilités) and Alstom for the delivery of a maximum of 217 MP14 trains over 15 years, for a total amount of more than 2 billion euro. This contract is part of the Île-de-France Mobilités strategy for the modernisation of all rolling stock on the Île-de-France Mobilités network.

An initial tranche of the MP14 contract included 35 automated metros for line 14, consisting of eight cars each. A first conditional tranche for 20 additional automated metros, consisting of six cars each, was exercised in January 2017 for line 4. A second option of 20 additional five-car trains (with driver’s cabs) was exercised in February 2018 for line 11.

A state-of-the-art metro, MP14 offers an unprecedented level of comfort and safety thanks to its interior layout and seats with a design based on the theme of the alcove, creating both hospitality and privacy. Vast reception areas offer accessibility to all passengers, with dedicated areas and boomerang-shaped seats to improve the passenger flow and the capacity of the trains. MP14 also has LED lighting efficiently distributed throughout the entire metro to provide a sense of security while eliminating darkly shadowed areas. The supports and steadying points are compliant with safety standards and further increase comfort inside the train. Warm and cool ventilation helps to provide temperature balance, whatever the season. MP14 also provides comprehensive video protection and dynamic passenger information on board.

A special feature of the MP14 metros for line 11 is that the design of the driver’s cab incorporates feedback from previous generations of cabs. Their design features the latest developments in ergonomics and has been validated by RATP drivers and occupational physicians.

MP14 is designed to improve passenger comfort and experience as well as reconcile performance, energy savings and ease of maintenance to keep costs under control throughout its life cycle.

MP14’s 100% electrical braking system recuperates energy and re-injects it into the network as electricity, while limiting the emission of fine particles caused by the mechanical brakes. The system reduces the energy consumption of the metros, as well as air pollution, by up to 20%. MP14 is also 40% quieter than the metros currently in service on line 11, with a 95% recyclability rate.

About 20 automated metros for line 14, consisting of eight cars each, will be delivered by the end of 2021. The first six-car automated metros for line 4 are currently being tested. Production of the first five-car metros for line 11 began in the last quarter of 2020 and the first metro will begin validation tests on RATP tracks this summer.

Eight of Alstom’s sixteen sites in France are involved in this project:

Valenciennes, for the studies, integration, validation, and testing;
Le Creusot, for the bogies;
Ornans, for the engines;
Villeurbanne, for the on-board computerised systems;
Tarbes, for the traction;
Aix-en-Provence, for the safety IT;
Reichshoffen, for the collision studies, and
Saint-Ouen, for the design.

Alstom to Supply 17 Additional Citadis Trams to Strasbourg

March 3, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom will supply 17 additional Citadis trams to the Strasbourg Transport Company (CTS) and the Eurometropole of Strasbourg for the sum of €52 million. This order will complete the fleet of 63 trams delivered by Alstom between 2003 and 2019, and confirms a partnership of almost 20 years between Alstom and CTS. The last option exercise, signed in March 2016, was for 10 Citadis trams for the extensions of lines A and D.

These 17 new trams will reinforce the existing lines, including line D, which serves the city centre of Kehl in Germany. The Citadis tramway is the first to cross a border in France and is approved according to the BOStrab, the German federal decree on the construction and operation of trams in Germany.

“With this new order, CTS is the French customer that will own one of the largest Citadis tram fleets with a total of 80 trainsets ordered. We are very proud to be continuing this partnership initiated in 2003, proving that the Citadis range meets the evolving needs of our customers,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, Managing Director of Alstom in France.

The Citadis trams for Strasbourg are 45 metres long and have a capacity of 288 passengers. They are fitted with LED lighting and all-glass doors to enhance comfort and safety for passengers. Complying with the latest standards, the trams are equipped with double doors accessible to PRMs (People with Reduced Mobility), wider seats and areas reserved for wheelchair and stroller users.

These trams will be designed and manufactured mainly in France: La Rochelle (design and assembly of the trainsets), Le Creusot (bogies for the intermediate modules), Tarbes (components of the traction chain), Villeurbanne (electronic equipment) and Saint-Ouen (design). The bogies situated under the driver cabins will be manufactured at Alstom’s site in Salzgitter, Germany.

In total, more than 2,600 Citadis trams have been sold to more than 50 cities in 20 countries.

Alstom Begins Delivery of Prima M4 Locomotives to ONCF

December 31, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom has delivered in Morocco the first Prima M4 locomotive in the frame of the contract signed in 2018 with ONCF to supply 30 electrical Prima locomotives. While the 30 locomotives will be manufactured in Alstom’s Belfort plant, the Alstom team in Morocco will ensure the testing, the warranty service and maintenance.

The 30 Prima M4 locomotives have a nominal power of 5.5 MW, a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h and operate under 3 KV DC voltage. They are equipped with ETCS level 1, require minimum maintenance and provide a high reliability level with low lifecycle cost thanks to the modular design.

“Over the past 10 years, 20 Alstom electrical locomotives have been put into commercial service by ONCF. We are proud, today, to contribute to grow up the fleet and to support ONCF in this major project to develop the railway infrastructure solutions throughout the country,” said Nourddine Rhalmi, Managing Director of Alstom Morocco.

Alstom has been manufacturing locomotives for more than 100 years with the first electric locomotive produced in 1926. To date, the company has sold more than 3,000 locomotives from its Prima range.

Six French sites are participating in the production of the locomotives: Belfort (assembling), Le Creusot (bogies), Ornans (motors), Petit-Quevilly (transformers), Tarbes (traction chain components) and Villeurbanne (on board electronics). The ETCS components are produced in Madrid.

Present in Morocco with 580 employees, Alstom has contributed to several major railway projects, such as the delivery of first Citadis trams to the cities of Rabat and Casablanca, and 12 Euroduplex VSHT for the High Speed Line which is linking Tangier to Casablanca. In its plant in Fez, Alstom produces cable bundles for rail applications and electrical switchboxes that are supplied to its European plants and mounted on trains exported around the world.

Alstom to Construct the New Metro for the Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence

November 27, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom is to carry out the renewal and automation of Marseille metro for the sum of 430 million euros financed by Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence. As part of this contract, Alstom will develop, supply and install the operating system and equipment for the automatic operation of the network’s two lines. Alstom will also commission 38 new rubber-tyred metros (4 cars) and modernise all the audiovisual passenger information inside the stations. The new trains are scheduled to enter service in early 2024.

The trains will run in semi-automatic mode with drivers until mid-2025 on line M2 and until 2026 on line M1, before switching to full automation.

“It is a great honour for us to contribute to modernising the mobility offer of Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence. Our metro experts are already at work on several of our French sites to get started quickly with developments,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, Senior Vice-President France at Alstom.

The new trains, based on Alstom’s rubber-tyred metro solutions, will incorporate the latest technological developments to increase comfort, availability, accessibility and passenger information, as well as facilitate maintenance.

Each 4-car train, 65 metres long and in “boa”[1] configuration, will be able to carry up to 500 passengers[2]. The sleekly designed trains will feature large bay windows, a highly efficient air conditioning system and modern passenger information systems, providing a pleasant on-board experience. Alstom called on Marseille designers Ora-ïto and Fabien Bourdier for the design and the sound conception of the new trains.

Three designs were proposed to the Metropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, which chose to set up an Internet consultation to give residents the opportunity to give their opinion on the design they would like to see selected.

The new metros for Marseille are environmentally friendly and will be eco-designed, enabling them to be 96% recoverable at the end of their lifespan. They will consume 25% less energy than the metros currently in service, thanks in particular to electric braking (up to 0 km/h), LED lighting and other optimisations.

For the automation system, Alstom will provide its Urbalis 400 solution, already deployed on more than 1,500 kilometres of metro lines worldwide. The Marseille metro will benefit from a proven, continuously improved system (on-board computers equipped with the latest technology, vital computers that are over 99% available, beacon tracker, etc.).

Alstom currently equips 25% of the CBTC[3] metro automations in service (60 lines, including 28 fully automated lines).

In total, more than 400 people in France will work on this project, including more than 60 in Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence. Jobs will also be generated at our suppliers in France, but also in the Métropole for the installation and deployment of the signalling system.

Alstom will draw on the excellent skills of six of its French sites: Aix-en-Provence for the project management, Valenciennes for the design, interior layout, assembly, tests and validation of the trains, Ornans for the engines, Le Creusot for the bogies, Villeurbanne for the on-board electronics, passenger information, predictive maintenance and signalling system equipment, and Saint-Ouen for the coordination of the artistic design, development and integration of the signalling system.

Alstom to Supply 39 Additional Coradia Polyvalent Trains to the Grand Est Region

October 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

contract worth over 360 million euros in France

22 October 2019 – Alstom will supply 39 additional Coradia Polyvalent trains to the Grand Est region for the sum of approximately 360 million euros[1]. The region had already ordered 40 Coradia Polyvalent trains, of which 36 have already been delivered. Deliveries of these new trains will be staggered between 2022 and 2024.

Firstly, this new order covers 30 trains intended for cross-border circulation in Germany. These 4-car trains, which are dual mode – dual voltage 25 kV / 15 kV and comply with German safety requirements, will run at 160 km/h, serving the German states of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. The 30 Coradia Polyvalent cross-border trains will offer a first-class zone and an area for bicycles, and will incorporate the new TSI PRM[2] 2014 standard, notably offering more spacious toilets to facilitate movement for passengers with reduced mobility. The first cross-border trains will be delivered at the end of 2023.

Secondly, nine additional Coradia Polyvalent trains, consisting of five 4-car and four 6-car trains, have been added to the existing fleet for domestic connections. These new trains will benefit from the same special features as those already in operation in the Grand Est region.

“Alstom is proud of this new sign of trust from the Grand Est region. The expertise and innovation capacities of our French teams are mobilised to support the region in developing cross-border mobility. This order also contributes to the activity of Alstom’s Reichshoffen site,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France.

Coradia Polyvalent belongs to Alstom’s Coradia range of trains. With its modular architecture, it can be adapted to the requirements of each public transport authority as well as to different types of use: suburban, regional and intercity. It comes in three lengths (56, 72 or 110 metres) and offers optimal comfort to passengers, whatever the length of the journey. The train is both ecological and economical due to its low energy consumption, its compliance with the latest emissions standards in thermal mode and its reduced maintenance costs. Coradia Polyvalent is the first French regional train to comply with all European standards, in particular with regard to access for people with reduced mobility.

To date, 387 Coradia Polyvalent trains have been ordered as part of the contract awarded to Alstom by SNCF in October 2009, including 320 Coradia Polyvalent for Régiolis by 9 French regions and 67 Coradia Liner by the French state, the authority responsible for the country’s TET (intercity) trains. Régiolis has already covered nearly 85 million kilometres in commercial service.

The Coradia Polyvalent train also meets the needs of the export market: 17 trains have been ordered by SNTF (Algeria) and 15 trains by APIX (Senegal).

This is Coradia Polyvalent’s second cross-border application as the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has ordered 17 Léman Express Coradia Polyvalent trains, to be commissioned on the CEVA cross-border line between France and Switzerland in mid-December 2019.

The manufacturing of Coradia Polyvalent secures more than 4,000 jobs in France for Alstom and its suppliers. Six of Alstom’s 12 sites in France are involved in the project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the engines, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board electronics and signalling products, and Saint-Ouen for the design.

[1] Booked in the second quarter of the current fiscal year

[2] Technical Specifications for Interoperability relating to Persons with Reduced Mobility

Alstom’s Tram Enters Service in Avignon

October 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom has commissioned its first new-generation Citadis X05 tram in its short version, on the first tramway line of Grand Avignon. The inauguration took place in the presence of Elisabeth Borne, Minister of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition, Renaud Muselier, President of Région Sud, Maurice Chabert, President of the Vaucluse Department, Patrick Vacaris, President of Grand Avignon, Cécile Helle, Mayor of Avignon, Jean-Marc Roubaud, President of Técélys and Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom France.

“Alstom and its teams are proud to be present at the commissioning of this first tramway line in Avignon. Thanks to their reliability, availability and easier maintenance, we are fully confident in the ability of the 14 Citadis trams to address the major travel challenges of the Agglomeration Community of Grand Avignon. I would also like to thank the members of Grand Avignon for having entrusted us with part of the infrastructural work. This new line will become a showcase for the expertise of the French rail sector,” said Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France.

24 metres long, equipped with 4 double doors on each side, the Citadis X05 tram for Grand Avignon will be able to carry more than 140 passengers. The full low floor and double doors facilitate accessibility and passenger exchange in stations. Everything has been designed for a pleasant travel experience: large bay windows covering 40% of the tram, LEDs with diffusers for soft, homogenous lighting, a state-of-the-art information system, large seats, air conditioning, and a video protection system.

Citadis X05 has standardised, proven, more accessible components, providing residents of the Avignon area with reliable, readily available material. Citadis X05 is particularly energy efficient and up to 99% recyclable.

Alstom offers a wide range of products and services and has also provided the tracks (studies, supply and assembly), the 750 V electrical substation and 6 km of overhead contact lines (studies, supply, installation and testing) in partnership with TSO.

Seven of Alstom’s thirteen sites in France are involved in the design and manufacture of the tram for Grand Avignon: La Rochelle (for the design and assembly of the trams), Ornans (for the engines), Le Creusot (for the bogies), Tarbes (for the traction drive equipment), Valenciennes (for the control system and interior layout), Saint-Ouen (for the design and infrastructure activities) and Villeurbanne (for the on-board electronic systems).

Alstom Delivers First Coradia Polyvalent Regional Train

August 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

27 August 2019 – Alstom has delivered the first five Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains for the cross-border CEVA[1] line to the SNCF Technicentre in Annemasse. Five trains will now be delivered each month until the end of November, with entry into commercial service scheduled for 15 December 2019. Since mid-August, Alstom’s teams have been supporting SNCF in training drivers for these new trains.

A total of 17 trains from Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent range have been ordered[2] by SNCF, financed entirely by the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, to run on the Léman Express, Europe’s largest cross-border rail network (45 stations, 230 km). The Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains contribute to providing a sustainable alternative to the car for the daily commutes of Greater Geneva’s residents, as well as a better service to the economic and tourist hubs of the entire region. Today, just 16% of the 550,000 daily cross-border trips are made on public transport.

The Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains belong to Alstom’s Coradia range, of which 348 trains have been sold to 9 French regions[3] as part of the contract awarded to Alstom by SNCF in October 2009. The fleet has already covered more than 50 million kilometres in commercial service.

The trains have been adapted to the specific characteristics of the Franco-Swiss cross-border CEVA line: configured in their suburban version, each 72-metre train can carry up to 204 seated passengers at speeds of up to 140 km/h, in accordance with Swiss certification. Designed to ensure cross-border connections with ERTMS technology[4], Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains can run on several types of network voltages[5].

To optimise the fluidity of passenger exchanges and reduce stopping time in stations, the Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains are equipped with a full low floor, seven doors on each side, all with bridge plates, and a large reception area on the platforms. Coradia Polyvalent is the first train to comply with the PRM-TSI standard^[6]. The interior offers increased comfort thanks to the seats equipped with individual reading lights and electrical sockets and the spaces dedicated to bicycles and luggage. Large windows and reduced noise levels also improve the quality of the journey.

The manufacturing of Coradia Polyvalent involves more than 4,000 jobs in France at Alstom and its suppliers. Six of Alstom’s 13 sites in France are involved in the project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the engines, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board computerised systems and signalling products, and Saint-Ouen for the design.

[1] Cornavin – Eaux-Vives – Annemasse line

[2] Option exercised in July 2015 for the sum of 160 million euros

[3] Including 10 additional Léman Express trains for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in July 2019 (approximately 70 million euros)

[4] European rail interoperability standard

[5] 25 kV, 1500 V and 15kV for Germany and Switzerland

[6] Technical specifications for interoperability relating to persons with reduced mobility