Alstom Chengdu metro

French company Alstom has been selected to provide traction systems for 288 metro cars, which will be circulated on Chengdu Metro’s new Line 3 in China.

Line 3 is currently being built in three phases and the €40m deal will be put towards phases 2 and 3, which are expected to start trial runs in 2018.

Alstom will provide the metro traction system OptONIX, which is specifically designed and developed for the Chinese market via joint venture Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment (SATEE).

Alstom’s China and East Asia managing director Ling Fang said: "We are pleased to be awarded a new contract by the city of Chengdu to participate in the extension of its metro network, which will significantly shorten the commuting time of its passengers through a transport solution that is reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

"With the objective of developing greener transport solutions, the city of Chengdu can rely on Alstom’s urban mobility solutions and its proximity to China through the valuable local JV SATEE to achieve this aim."

Alstom has also provided traction systems for 144 metro cars, which will circulate on the first phase of Line 3.

"The €40m deal will be put towards phases 2 and 3, which are expected to start trial runs in 2018."

SATEE is manufacturing the traction systems for all three phases in China, while Alstom is responsible for the systems in France and Belgium. Components have been supplied by Tarbes, while software has been provided by Charleroi.

So far, Alstom has provided traction solutions for 750 metro cars on the Chengdu metro lines, and for 3,400 metro cars of 18 lines in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao, and Hong Kong.

Image: Alstom will provide traction systems for 288 metro cars to be circulated on Chengdu Metro’s new metro line, Line 3, in China. Photo: courtesy of ALSTOM.