Caracas metro project is confirmed

After a complete review of the economic interest of the Line
4 metro project for Caracas, the Venezuelan Government and the
Caracas Metro Authority, CAMC, have given the go-ahead to the
project. ALSTOM, as part of the FRAMECA consortium, has been
awarded a turnkey contract worth 112 million euros, covering
the supply of 44 metro cars, the signalling system, the
electrical power supply system, as well as a complete fire
protection system.

Scheduled to enter service in the year 2003, the first phase
of the new line will link Capuchinos to Plaza Venezuela III
over 5.5 km.

ALSTOM has been involved in the development of the Caracas
metro since the opening of line 1 in 1978. The company has to
date delivered around 600 metro cars for the system and
refurbished 378 cars.

More than 50 cities world-wide are equipped with metros
supplied by ALSTOM. This latest order will strengthen the
company's position in the railway equipment market in Latin
America. ALSTOM has already equipped the metro systems of
Mexico City, Caracas, Medellin, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro,
Buenos Aires, Santiago in Chile and has been awarded a turnkey
contract for the construction of the first line of Brazil's
Fortaleza metro. The company is also responsible for the
maintenance of Brasilia metro's rolling stock, fixed
installations and signalling systems.

ALSTOM is a world leader in the energy and transport
infrastructure markets. Present in more than 60 countries,
ALSTOM is organised in six sectors, Energy (through ABB ALSTOM
POWER, the 50-50 joint company created with ABB), Transmission
& Distribution, Transport, Industry, Marine and
Contracting, all of these being supported by the ALSTOM
Network.