New venture on track

Alstom Transport and CFF Cargo this week signed an agreement for the creation of a joint venture on CFF Cargo’s industrial site at Bienne, Switzerland.

Alstom Transport and CFF Cargo will hold a 51% and 49% stake respectively in the joint venture’s equity.

The new company will handle maintenance activities relating to the shunting engines and tank wagons operated by CFF and CFF Cargo, as well as by private freight companies. According to Alstom, these activities should generate sales of €22.9 million in 2007.

The joint venture is said to represent a further stage in the development of Alstom Transport’s policy of building a network of maintenance centres across Europe.

With this new operation, nine sites will now provide coverage of the North-South corridor, which stretches from the Netherlands to Italy. The network will enable the company to respond to growing demand from public and private operators for service and global maintenance solutions.