UK Traincare Centres get a face lift

Longsight is one of six Traincare Centres along
Britains west coast between London and Glasgow to have
benefited from major investment over the last five years. A
primary reason for the investment was to enable the centers to
serve the new PENDOLINO tilting trains that Virgin will begin
operating on the West Coast Main Line early in 2003. The focus
was on this particular site because all the new trains will pass
through there regularly once they start commercial service.

The center is equipped with a
new 'simultaneous' lifting mechanism that can
raise a complete nine-car PENDOLINO train in order to facilitate
access to the underframe, notably for bogie maintenance and
inspections. Approximately one train per week will pass through
the system once commercial service begins.

Chris Green, Chief Executive of Virgin Trains, congratulated
staff, saying he was very proud of the ALSTOM/Kier Rail
partnership, which had resulted in such impressive changes and
allowed them to be 'ahead of the game.'

Mission: Possible

Mr. Green and Roger McDonald, Vice President,
ALSTOM Transport UK, jointly launched the lifting mechanism as
the theme from 'Mission: Impossible' echoed around the shed,
accompanied by flashing lights and smoke effects. (The tune was
chosen for ALSTOM/Virgin PENDOLINO events after Sir Richard
Branson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin
Group, last year baptized the PENDOLINO project Mission:
Possible.)

Next stop was a chance to see the
new train wash in action, with its 'tilted'
brushes that reach those difficult spots and clean more of the
train surface than traditional train washes.

Mr. MacDonald praised the achievement of all the teams
involved, adding that the Service business was the most active of
ALSTOM's Transport sector in the UK today and that it was
therefore fitting for it to be in the limelight.

For more information about the Traincare Centres'
transformation,
read
the press release.

With more than 35 product lines and a presence in over 60
countries, ALSTOM's Transport Sector offers cutting-edge
products and services to four distinct types of customers:
urban transit authorities and operators; intercity passenger
rail operators and rolling stock owners; rail freight
operators; and intercity railway infrastructure owners.
ALSTOM's Transport Sector, with 4.4 billion euros in sales in
2001, is among the world's leading suppliers to the railway
industry.

Press information:
Helen Connolly

Tel. +33 (0)1 41 66 91 43

helen.connolly@transport.alstom.com

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