Bombardier Transportation has won a tender for new regional double-deck trains organized by the French Railways (SNCF) on behalf of the French Regions. The framework contract contemplates the design and manufacturing of 860 double-deck electrical multiple units (EMU), for a total amount of approximately 8 billion euros (US$11 billion), subject to exercising some technical options. SNCF also signed a first firm order for 80 trains, valued at approximately 800 million euros (US$1.1 billion), financed by the regions.
So far, six regions have placed orders, which they will finance: Aquitaine, Bretagne, Centre, Nord-Pas de Calais, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Rhône-Alpes. Bombardier said that the first deliveries on this firm order are scheduled to take place in June 2013, and they will continue until December 2015.
Bombardier teams in Crespin, in northern France, developed a new double-deck train platform especially for this tender. It includes the following characteristics:
- modularity, to meet the regions' differing needs in terms of suburban, regional and intercity services;
- wide-body cars;
- an articulated structure and wide connectors.
"We thank the Regions and SNCF for their trust in this large-scale project for which Bombardier Crespin teams have demonstrated their creativity and engineering excellence. These teams are now on the starting blocks to implement this important project," said Jean Bergé, president of Bombardier Transportation France. "The solution created by our engineers is a train which stands out by its width, capacity, comfort and polyvalence. It will become a reference product, and will support the regional rail transport development in our country."