Alstom to supply 8 additional Citadis Dualis trainsets to the Pays de la Loire region in France

Following two initial orders for 15 Citadis Dualis trainsets in 2007 and 2009, the Pays de la Loire region (France) has recently demonstrated its continued confidence in Alstom Transport with an option for 8 additional trainsets worth €27 million. These 8 trainsets will operate on the Nantes – Chateaubriant line. They will be delivered in stages between 2013 and 2014.

In May 2007, SNCF placed a framework order worth €650 million with Alstom for the design and manufacture of 200 Citadis Dualis tram-train trainsets, including a firm order for 31 trainsets: 7 trainsets for the Pays de la Loire region and 24 trainsets for the Rhône-Alpes region. In March 2009, SNCF ordered a conditional first tranche of 8 additional trainsets for the Pays de la Loire region. Three trainsets have already been delivered to Nantes for operation on the Nantes - Clisson line, which will be inaugurated in June 2011. In total, 47 Citadis Dualis trainsets have been ordered, representing the largest fleet of new generation tram trains.

Designed to link the city centre with the surrounding region, Citadis Dualis is capable of operating inside towns and cities - just like a tramway - and can also operate on regional rail networks thanks to a series of adaptations that provide for power, safety and comfort. The new configuration offers a highly versatile form of transport.

Citadis Dualis is part of a new generation of rail equipment, offering a fold-out coupling that absorbs the reinforced structure in the event of a crash to meet the very latest safety standards; new, compact bogies designed for operation at 100 kph that offer enhanced comfort and movement; permanent-magnet motors that reduce energy consumption; and environmentally-friendly materials to ensure that 90% of the vehicle is recyclable. Fully modular, it also offers a wide range of options in interior fittings and exterior design. In addition, the Citadis Dualis won the Most Beautiful Design of the Year award at the 22nd annual Rencontres Nationales du Transport Public event, which took place in Nice in November 2009.

Entirely designed and assembled at Alstom Transport’s facilities in France, Citadis Dualis is a driver of economic growth in regions across France: train engineering and assembly in Valenciennes (Nord Pas de Calais); bogies in Creusot (Bourgogne); motors in Ornans (Franche-Comté); traction drives in Tarbes (Midi-Pyrénées); and on-board computing systems in Villeurbanne (Rhône-Alpes).

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