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in the land of the Queen car and aircraft king, the TGV will finally make its first laps. Friday, August 26th, Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States in person, announced an investment of $ 2.45 billion (€ 2.2 billion) to modernize the high-speed line (LGV) connecting on the East coast, Boston to Washington. Financed by a loan, the expense is essentially a contract of $ 2 billion in favor of Alstom, which will provide the trains and carry out maintenance.
“This is a great day for Alstom and the French high speed “ was delighted Jérôme Wallut, senior vice president of Alstom in North America. The news also got the government honors. It was announced in the presence of the Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Victor Mendez, Mr. Biden from the station that bears his name in Wilmington (Delaware).
Apart the purchase of trains, $ 450 million will be spent on upgrading the tracks for high speed, safety and train stations renovations.
the event is a little revenge for the Obama administration, in its infancy, was the ambition to go down in history as the “TGV presidency.” In 2009, the Project “give 80% of Americans access to high-speed train” was twofold objective ecological and economic stimulus. But obstructions Republicans, fundamentally anti-train, were right investment plan of $ 10 billion, which was striped of the 2011 budget lines.
The “high- speed train “has demodé aircraft
the contract signed by Alstom with Amtrak, the US national rail company, states that the French company will build 28 new trains loaded to replace, from 2021, the 23 oars that serve today the “Corridor northeast” (CNE). This connection between Boston and Washington, long 730 km, is the only track at high speed running in the United States. However, the term high speed must be qualified: the trains do not exceed 240 km / h top speed and follow the path to an average speed of 170 km / h
trains Avelia Liberty latest additions to the range of the French group, will replace the current trainsets manufactured by a consortium comprising Alstom and Canada’s Bombardier, and 75% dominated by the latter. Exclusively produced by Alstom, they will transport 35% more passengers will be able to raise rates and maximum speed (257 km / h) on the existing infrastructure. They will then move to 300 km / h when the line will increased its capacity.
This qualitative leap has become a necessity because the CNE, which serves a conurbation almost as crowded as the France, saw its traffic from 2.4 million passengers in 2002 to 3.5 in 2014. Done unheard of in the United States, “high-speed rail” on outdated aircraft this stretch. the airline industry has lost 75% of market share since 2000
A very competitive market
this trend has not escaped the makers US transportation. Almost thirty years after the first aborted project of a TGV Texas high speed finally shudders across the Atlantic. A line connecting the California cities of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco is under construction and two more are in the planning stage: between Los Angeles and Las Vegas (Nevada) and Texas between Dallas and Houston.
Best of all, Alstom has a maintenance contract assuring him fifteen years of activity. Innovative and predictive tools (one full of sensors gantry scans oars and identifies components to repair it) put forward by the group in trade negotiations are no strangers to this success.
Buy American Act obliges all rolling stock will be produced on the US site of Alstom in Hornell (New York)
This command is a victory for the French company . “it is all the more meritorious than the world market of high speed has become very difficult,” says Bertrand Mouly-Aigrot, Archery consultant for the firm. Priced at € 6 billion in 2017, it is weakened by the scarcity of public investments and complicated by increased competition. In addition to its usual competitors – Bombardier and Germany’s Siemens – Alstom must scrap with Japanese groups, Korean, Spanish and Chinese
Read also: Alstom: “The weakness. french market weakens our industrial “
Not a french industrial use
showcase for french technology, this contract is timely. Alstom has in recent years some bitter disappointments, missing a Saudi call for tenders in 2011 and leaving in 2015, the Indian fast train Shinkansen Japanese market.
Read also: Japan will build the first Indian TGV
Seen from France, there is still a downside. The funding is federal, the Buy American Act applies to the contract. All the rolling stock will be produced on the US site of Alstom in Hornell, in the State of New York.
Not a French industrial employment therefore benefit from this market. Only group hexagonal site consultants will record an increase in activity. “Alstom is already American, says Wallut. We employ 2000 people in the United States. “ The creation of 400 direct jobs, 1000 indirect and call 350 subcontractors have motivated the US Congress in its decisive support to the project.
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