Alstom has manufactured the first complete body-shell of the 20 X’Trapolis Mega commuter trains to be built at its Lapa manufacturing plant in Brazil.
These X’Trapolis Mega trains are being constructed for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to fit South Africa’s 1.067m gauge.
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PRASA signed a contract with Gibela, a joint venture led by Alstom, to provide 600 passenger trains to be delivered between 2015 and 2025.
This first stainless-steel body-shell is set to start the fitting phase and the first PRASA train will be delivered to South Africa for an intensive testing programme by the end of 2015.
The train is expected to enter service in June 2016.
PRASA group executive of strategic asset development Piet Sebola said: "In the months ahead, this world-class manufacturing activities will be performed in South Africa by our own engineers and artisans. It is in line with our plans to develop new generation of railway engineers and artisans.
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By GlobalData"We are focusing our energy on the creation of a railway service that forms an integral part of the transport system renewal to provide effective and efficient public transport to all South Africans."
Alstom plants involved in this project include Sesto, Italy, for the traction motors, Le Creusot, France, for the bogies, Reischoffen, France, for the driver cabin, in addition to the French sites of Ornans, Tarbes, Villeurbanne and Saint-Ouen.
The Gibela joint venture also consists of Ubumbano Rail and New Africa Rail.
Image: Alstom will supply X’Trapolis Mega trains for PRASA. Photo: courtesy of Alstom.
