Alstom celebrates 120 years of the Vado Ligure Site and its relaunch with €20 Million invested since 2021
Alstom celebrates 120 years of the Vado Ligure Site and its relaunch with €20 Million invested since 2021
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The site strengthens production of Traxx Universal locomotives, expands its activities, and invests in cutting-edge technologies.
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“Tracks of Innovation” inaugurated, a permanent exhibition showcasing the site’s history and bringing the community closer to future skills.
13 April 2026 – Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, today celebrated the 120th anniversary of its historic Vado Ligure site, a cornerstone of the Italian railway industry since 1906. This milestone comes at a particularly significant time for the site, which in recent years has undergone a process of industrial revitalization and consolidation, in line with the commitments made by the company following the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation in 2021. Between 2021 and 2026, a total of around €20 million has been invested to reorganize and strengthen production, improve product quality, enhance commercial capabilities, and diversify activities. Furthermore, industrial integration with Alstom’s other Italian sites, particularly Savigliano (CN), has enabled the alignment of skills, processes, and methodologies, accelerating development and enhancing complementarities across the country
“Celebrating this important milestone means paying tribute to an extraordinary industrial history and to the people who, with their expertise and dedication, have made this site a benchmark in the railway sector”
“Celebrating this important milestone means paying tribute to an extraordinary industrial history and to the people who, with their expertise and dedication, have made this site a benchmark in the railway sector,” said Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom Italy. “Today, thanks to the Group’s investments, Vado Ligure looks to the future with renewed ambition: the results we are achieving confirm the vision we have built together over years of hard work.“
“Celebrating the 120th anniversary of this site means reaffirming the strategic role of industry in the growth of Liguria and the country,” said the President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci. “Vado Ligure represents a center of excellence that generates economic spillover, employment, and development for the entire area. The work carried out every day in this factory does not concern the company alone, but the whole community: value is created here for the territory, jobs are supported, and development is built. Even in the most challenging times, the company has demonstrated adaptability and a strong team spirit. Our thanks go to the workforce, a vital asset of skills that is essential for the competitiveness of the production system. Today’s results are, in fact, the outcome of cooperation between workers, management, and institutions. As a Region, our goal is to make Liguria increasingly attractive by creating the conditions for businesses to grow. We aim to strengthen the industrial supply chain and create new employment opportunities, because Liguria has a long industrial tradition and has always been a pioneer in innovation. Congratulations to everyone: this is a success story that deserves to be told and that looks to the future with confidence.”
Investments at the Vado Ligure site are also part of the €63.3 million industrial plan announced for the 2024–2026 period, covering all Alstom sites in Italy.
The celebratory event was attended by Marco Bucci, President of the Liguria Region; Enrico Maria Puija, Head of the Department for Infrastructure and Transportation Networks Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation; Silvano Simone Bettini, President of Federmeccanica; Fabio Gilardi, Mayor of Vado Ligure; Andrew DeLeone, President Europe of Alstom, Alstom management, and around 300 employees. The ceremony was enriched by the presence of top clients and key stakeholders. A special performance from the Fondazione Luzzati – Teatro della Tosse, dedicated to workers and to the strength of labor as a driver of development and social growth, has been a tribute to those who have contributed to the site’s past and future.
A strategic site for Italy and the region
Since the 2021 acquisition, Alstom has invested resources, expertise, and technologies to strengthen the site’s competitiveness and fully implement its industrial plan, with the aim of ensuring production continuity, preserving know-how, safeguarding employment, and supporting long-term growth.
Today, the Vado Ligure site employs around 300 professionals and represents a strategic hub for Alstom, the local area, and the entire national industrial system. Thanks to investments in recent years, the site has been transformed into a highly specialized center, integrated into a modern production process that combines advanced technical expertise with cutting-edge technologies.
The industrial plan focuses on strengthening the site along three key directions:
Strengthening production of Traxx Universal locomotives, the site’s main industrial asset. Over 250 units sold across Italy confirm the strength of an excellent platform, continuously evolving through targeted technological developments: from Last Mile versions capable of operating on non-electrified lines, to multisystem variants for major international corridors, up to models capable of reaching speeds of 200 km/h. This path aims to enhance interoperability, versatility, and competitiveness at a European level.
Diversifying the industrial scope, expanding capabilities beyond locomotive production. New activities include the outfitting of the Power Car for Italy’s first hydrogen-powered train - a flagship project in the energy transition of rail transport - and strengthening the site’s role in maintenance and major overhauls, including complex work on high-speed trains in international service. A new building currently under construction will further increase capacity and expand the range of interventions, paving the way for full servicing of both regional and high-speed trains.
Investing in technology, consolidating the transformation of the site into a highly specialized hub. Facilities already in operation include structural bonding systems, the Rain Test system for testing vehicles under extreme conditions, a Test Track for dynamic verification, and a Control Room that monitors hundreds of locomotives in real time. The integration of these solutions with new digital tools and updated processes improves the quality, reliability, and efficiency of industrial operations.
120 years Vado Ligure - Guardians and keepers of Memory
120 yearsVado Ligure - Andrew DeLeone, MD Europe Alstom
120 years Vado Ligure - Michele Viale, MD Alstom Italy
120 years Vado Ligure - Silvano Saba, Site Director Vado Ligure
The Vado Ligure site
120 anni Vado Ligure
Visit of the permanent exposition in Vado Ligure
Visit of the permanent exposition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
The permanent exhibition in Vado Ligure
“Tracks of Innovation”: A permanent exhibition for the community
Founded in 1906 by Westinghouse, the Vado Ligure plant quickly became one of Italy’s main railway manufacturing hubs. It was here that the E.550, the country’s first three-phase electric locomotive, was built, followed by iconic models such as the E.636, E.444, E.633, E.652, and E.464.
In more recent years, the site has contributed to the development of high-speed trains and strengthened its core business with the Traxx locomotive platform. More than 2,000 locomotives produced over 120 years testify to a deep connection between expertise, innovation, and the local area.
To showcase over a century of industrial history, “Tracks of Innovation,” a permanent exhibition within the plant, was unveiled. The space is conceived as a meeting point between memory and innovation, where industrial culture is both preserved and renewed. The exhibition traces the evolution of locomotives produced in Vado Ligure through original objects, models, photographs, and multimedia content, highlighting both technological progress and the people and skills that made it possible.
Located within one of the site’s historic early 20th-century buildings, the space is designed as a dynamic environment featuring hands-on demonstrations, educational and scientific activities, and interactive installations. These allow visitors to explore the principles of railway engineering and innovation in an accessible way.
It represents a concrete opportunity to bring young people and students closer to STEM disciplines and the mechatronics sector, fostering curiosity and new skills.
Developed in collaboration with local organizations and volunteers, including the Industrial Union of the Province of Savona, Treno Club Savona, and A.C.M.E. srl, “Tracks of Innovation” aims to become a cultural landmark open to the community, students, families, and enthusiasts. The exhibition will be open to the public by reservation starting from May 2026.
Behind every great story: People
The ceremony also provided an opportunity to recognize the experience, talent, and contribution of the people who are the driving force behind the company’s growth and innovation.
The “Guardians and Custodians of Memory” were honored, an award celebrating excellence and tradition, symbolizing the passing of knowledge to younger generations, who are entrusted with continuing the journey of innovation in mobility.
ALSTOM™ and Traxx Universal™ are registered and protected trademarks of the Alstom Group.
