Germany: The French train builder and has signed a framework agreement to sell the site to the Franco-German defence group KNDS. The transfer of the plant will be completed in 2027, with around 580 of its 700 employees being offered jobs by KNDS or Alstom.
Alstom became the owner of the Görlitz plant, which produces double-deck trains and trams, through the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation in 2021. KNDS plans to convert the plant into an armoured vehicle factory and start producing components already this year.
The train builder’s plans to relocate production from its Görlitz plant to Katowice and Wroclaw in Poland after 2026 have been known for some time. The company itself has stated that the contracts it received with the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation are unprofitable and difficult to execute, so a number of measures have been taken to optimise the performance of the acquired assets.
