Bombardier Transportation confirms that it has received an official notice from SNCF to supply, in consortium with Alstom, 71 new trains for the RER lines D and E of the Île-de-France (greater Paris) network.
This order is valued at 1.16 billion euro ($1.22 billion US) for the Alstom-Bombardier consortium. Bombardier’s share of the contract is valued at 373 million euro ($395 million US). The first trains will be delivered and enter circulation from 2021 onwards.
This follows the press conference hosted by French national railways SNCF, greater Paris transport authority STIF and the Île-de-France region on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 to announce that the Alstom-Bombardier consortium has been selected to provide the new trains. This first order is part of a framework contract. STIF has dedicated an estimated 3.75 billion euro ($3.97 billion US) in financing for up to 255 trains (130 for the RER line D and 125 for the RER line E), their largest financing ever.
Laurent Bouyer, President of Bombardier Transport France, said “This brand new train will enhance the travel conditions of passengers in Île-de-France. Bombardier brings its reliability and hands-on knowledge of the Île-de-France network to the consortium, as well as the large scale production capacities of our Crespin site in Northern France.”
This contract will modernise the existing rolling stock, which is on average over 30 years old. The passengers on lines D and E will discover a new generation of trains, more reliable as well as more comfortable and regular.
To carry out this major project successfully, a total of around 2,000 people will work on the project under the Alstom-Bombardier consortium, including 550 experienced engineers, securing more than 8,000 jobs in the French rail sector. Bombardier’s site in Crespin will be responsible for designing and manufacturing the intermediate cars, and designing the air conditioning and passenger access systems of the whole train.
Bombardier’s site in Crespin, France’s largest industrial rail site, designs, builds and operates innovative trains, meeting daily transport needs. The site built its reputation on the AGC regional trains and is now delivering two major projects: the Francilien commuter train for the Île-de-France Region and the BOMBARDIER OMNEO double deck platform which includes the Regio 2N and the OMNEO Premium intercity train.
Nearly 1,000 “made in Hauts-de-France” Bombardier trains operate daily, offering reliable and comfortable journeys to passengers. In 2015, Bombardier trains travelled 150 million kilometers throughout France, which is equivalent to 550 000 private cars on the roads to ensure these journeys.
