Alstom has secured a €400m deal to provide 15 Euroduplex Océane train sets to France's state-owned railway company SNCF Mobilités.
Expected to be commissioned by 2019 and 2020 for the Paris-Bordeaux service, the new train sets will replace older models currently being used on the route.
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The train sets will be pre-fitted for a new automatic speed control system generation, meeting the latest European standards (ERTMS), and will be equipped with a device that helps with door-locating.
They will also incorporate upgraded door-handles and (touch-sensitive) WC signs and will be pre-equipped with on-board internet access.
In 2013, SNCF Mobilités’ ordered 40 Euroduplex trains, with 12 having already delivered. Last December, the first four of the 12 trains were commissioned for the Paris-Bordeaux line.
Alstom France CEO Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud said: “This is very good news for our French sites, especially Belfort and La Rochelle, as well as for our component sites.
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By GlobalData“This new train has many advantages for the railway operator, particularly its large capacity. Initial feedback, from passengers on this new train, is highly positive, in terms of both its comfort and its looks.”
Part of Alstom’s Avelia range of high-speed train, the Euroduplex Océane is equipped with 556 seats.
Trains also feature a new seating concept designed for comfort, and also incorporates a higher equipment level such as power outlets, USB sockets, and reading lamps.
In addition, Alstom has developed a new system that allows first-class seats to rotate through 180°, enabling passengers to face the direction of travel.
Currently, eight of Alstom’s 12 sites in France are involved in the designing and manufacturing of Euroduplex trains.
Image: Alstom’s Euroduplex Océane train set concept. Photo: courtesy of Alstom.
