According to Alstom, the order falls within the framework of a contract signed in October 2009 with SNCF and financed by the French regions. The initial contract consisted of a firm tranche totalling €800m for the supply of 100 Coradia Polyvalent trains.
The first 119 trainsets will be distributed between the regions of Alsace, Aquitaine, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Pays de la Loire, Provence - Alpes - Cote d’Azur and Picardie.
The total number of Coradia Polyvalent trains could eventually reach 1,000 units, generating more than €7bn.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013 and end in mid-2015.
The Coradia Polyvalent range can travel at up to 160kph in its electric or hybrid versions and operates at two different voltages (25kV and 1,500V). It is also available in a trans-border version for operation on the German and Swiss rail networks at a voltage of 15kV.
Promoted content: Does social media work for engineers – and how can you make it work for you?
So in addition to doing their own job, engineers are expected to do the marketing department´s work for them as well? Sorry, wait a minute, I know the...