Alstom scores in Europe and US

International Railway Journal, Jan, 2003

ALSTOM has announced a number of orders in Europe and the United States. The company has been confirmed as supplier of a driverless metro in Lausanne, Switzerland; supplier of 250 metro cars in Barcelona; and winner of a contract to overhaul 120 metro cars in Atlanta, United States. In addition, Alstom has completed, six months ahead of schedule, the delivery of 598 refurbished metro cars in Chicago.

In Lausanne, Alstom was chosen as preferred bidder for rolling stock and train control in 1999 and 2000 respectively for a 6km automatic rubber-tyred line linking Ouchy in the south with Epalinges in the north. The [euro]135 million contract covers 15 two-car trains and the Urbalis control system.

Barcelona's metropolitan transport authority, ATM, has placed a [euro]290 million order for 250 driverless Metropolis cars. Alstom will supply 86% of the vehicles with AnsaldoBreda supplying bogies and auxiliary converters. The trains will operate on the future fully-automatic Line 9. The 41.3km line, with 43 stations, will be the longest in Barcelona, linking municipalities in the north with those in the south, and the airport Delivery will start in October 2004 for completion in April 2007.

In the United States, the board of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta) has awarded Alstom a $US 127 million contract to overhaul 120 cars, representing about half the total fleet The contract includes an option to overhaul an additional 118 cars.