France: The investment programme is launched to boost production of the double-deck high-speed Avelia Horizon trains, the fifth TGV generation.
The French manufacturer aims to allocate €30 mln to launch an assembly line at its facility in Valenciennes, to double production volumes of train bodies in La Rochelle and to build a 250 m long workshop for final train adjustment in Belfort.
The company also plans to modernise component sites in Petit Quevilly, Ornans, Tarbes, and Le Creusot. In addition, Alstom will continue to plow into digitalisation and lean manufacturing. The manufacturer plans to hire 1,000 employees in the current year, with an estimated 2,500 additional jobs created across domestic suppliers.
Currently, 115 Avelia Horizon trains are ordered by the national operator SNCF, 12 vehicles will be delivered to the private operator Proxima and 18 units will be received by Morocco’s national operator ONCF. Notably, SNCF’s Avelia Horizon delivery timeline has been delayed by three and a half years.
