The mega-contract RSP of new generation intended for lines D and E’s aging network Ile-de-France could not escape Alstom, especially after the case of Belfort : it was officially awarded on Wednesday by the Syndicat des transports d’ile-de-France (Stif) and SNCF to the “champion” French railway equipment associated with his usual partner in this type of tendering, the canadian Bombardier. The sole candidate since the ouster timely competitor Spanish CAF (considered to be incapable of producing 70 trains per year at its site in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrenees), the consortium Alstom-Bombardier will build the 255 trains of a new model of regional train express, dubbed X trapolis Cityduplex, pre sented by its designers as “the RER of the future”. Potential amount of the jackpot: € 3.7 billion.
These double-decker trains are more modern, more comfortable and more energy-efficient, will start production in 2018 for commissioning in 2021. A very good news for the French employees of the factories of Alstom and Bombardier will have work for at least five years. But also and above all for the users for which the RER is often synonymous with galley. Explanations.
what are the amounts door the “contract of the century” ?
Presented by the president of the region Ile-France, Valérie Pécresse, such as “a historic order, the largest ever financed by the Stif” (the previous one, in 2009, focused on 130 trains of the RER A to 1.3 billion euros), this command has all of the “contract of the century” for Alstom and Bombardier. It will carry forward a total amount of 3.75 billion euros for the 255 trains : 125 for the RER D and 130 for the RER E. And according to Benedict Stephan, the vice-president of Alstom France in charge of sales, at the request of Stif could even “up to 371 trains having regard to the needs in the Ile-de-France”. But for the moment, the consortium Alstom-Bombardier received a firm order for a first tranche of 71 oars equivalent to 1,155 billion euros (56 trains for the E line and 15 trains for the D). The tandem hopes that the second tranche of 184 trains remaining (to get to 255 officially provided) will be commissioned in 2018 -2019. For the Stif, the unit cost of the train RER a “new generation” will be approximately 15 million euros (compared to 25 million cost of a “TGV of the future”)…
Why a new RER ?
The line D (north to south), it is 615 000 passengers per day and the line E (east-west) 372 000 passengers per day. And the confession even of the president of the SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, “there was a lot of complains that our trains in the Ile-de-France were too old” with an average age of 30 years. These trains purchased in the late 80′s have seen millions of travelers weary, and tired as seriously in turn : “They fall more often in failure as the new”, seems to be discovering Valérie Pécresse, who, “novice of the railway” is assumed, does without a doubt not often the RER. Add to that more than 3 million passengers per day coming from the whole Ile-de-France and we arrive at a rate of incidents and delays, which are much higher for the RER as the metro. The lines D and E, which will benefit from these new trains are rather less disturbed than the famous A and B because less borrowed, as shown by a “list ” created by Citymapper in October. But the idea is to relieve in turn a network, often on the brink of implosion and to calm the anger of the users. the “The new trains will benefit more than a million passengers and can offload the line RER A which is very full”, welcomed Valérie Pécresse in touting its “transport revolution”. the “the renewal of The equipment was a life-saving decision in the Ile-de-France”, acknowledged Guillaume Pepy.
What will there be more, “RER of the future” ?
the confession even of the boss of the SNCF, “there is still only on paper” and its design in less than three years, there was a bet enough case mouth. the “it is simple, It has never invented a train in so little time, it never happened”. But Alstom and Bombardier, who are working on the subject for nearly four years, have cared for their copy to address “this great industrial challenge.” and design “a RER for passengers”, emphasized the CEO of Alstom, Henri Poupart-Lafarge. Great innovation, this train two floors will be a “Boa” wagons, open-plan allowing users to move freely throughout the length of the train, “this will ease the ascent and descent, with wider doors and walk-in, and three spaces passenger dedicated to the short, medium and long journeys”, explains Benedict Stephan Alstom. first, “a emmarchement mobile will improve acce ss to people with reduced mobility, regardless of the height of the dock”. The cars of the 112-metre and six cars for the RER E will be able to take 1 563 passengers, compared to 1 861 passengers to those of 130 metres and 7 cars of the RER D, according to the specifications Alstom-Bombardier. Optimistic, Guillaume Pepy talks about, him, “15% of seats in addition to the D and 25% on the E” by expanding the capacity of carrying more than 2 000 people. And according to him, the users will travel in a “level of comfort and safety unheard of” : in the menu, and new ergonomic chairs, support points, multiple, LED lighting, information screens and cctv in all carriages… But this new RER that can run at 140 km/h, which will accelerate and will slow better, will be as “25% more energy efficient” and “20% less costly in maintenance”. What happiness for the Stif and SNCF in france.
what it is all about profit for Alstom ?
This agreement is obviously excellent news for the company Alstom, which is presented as subclaquante there are still a few months old when he was closing the factory TGV Belfort, but, since, apparently back to health. It will work with 2 000 employees of the consortium and 8,000 more in the French rail sector. But it is Alstom, in charge of global engineering, car head and tail, bogies and traction motor, of the communication system, transformers, and energy converters, which will forge itself into the lion’s share. Bombardier will build all of the intermediate cars, and take care of the interior design in its plant in Crespin in the North. In the end, the key distribution is very favourable to the French group, which engrangera about 70% of the turnover of 780 million euros on the 71 first trains. Most of the Alstom sites will be involved around the “site integration” of Valenciennes, but the factory in Belfort will not be affected, since specialised in TGV. In any case, “all of the trains will be manufactured in France”. To reassure the unions, who feared the relocation of some components from China. And the shareholders are obviously not forgotten : this contract will inflate a bit more the benefits of Alstom, which already provides “excellent results” for the fiscal year 2016-2017. Missing the SNCF and the State order of 21 TGV promised to save”Belfort” and the boss of Alstom Poupart-Lafarge has been a master-stroke by playing the blackmail to the closure of this historical factory of the group to fill its order book.
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