The French Government and Alstom Present a Plan to Rescue Belfort Site
Christophe Sirugue, Minister of State for the Industry and Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom Chairman and CEO, presented in Belfort a plan to maintain the railway and industrial activities on Belfort site. The axes have been identified and constitute an alternative plan compared to the previous plan: announcements of orders, development of services activities and significant investments for the diversification of the site.
The announced orders are related to 21 TGV Euroduplex and 20 shunting locomotives in addition to the confirmation of the order for 30 Intercity trains.
Several measures will allow the development of maintenance and services activities on Belfort site. Alstom is committing to modernising the operations with the objective of employing 150 people by 2019 in these activities.
In addition, Alstom will invest, together with industrial or financial partners in the necessary diversification of the Belfort site through the production of other rail and road vehicles.
The French Government and Alstom Chairman and CEO are pleased by the favourable outcome that was found.
Henri Poupart-Lafarge declared:
“I am pleased by the announcements that have just been made and by the mobilisation of all stakeholders in order to find an industrial future for Belfort site and to consolidate the workload on other sites in France. Moreover, the fact that a strategic committee for the industry will be held soon is excellent news for the whole railway sector”.
Christophe Sirugue said:
“It is a great success and the result of a common work between the company, the local authorities and the unions. The collaborative and constructive approach that allowed us to succeed in finding this outcome symbolises the role of the State industrial policies: mobilising all stakeholders around a project for the future that is collective, realistic and ambitious for Belfort.”
Michel Sapin, Minister of the Economy and Finance, added:
“This plan, built through a dialogue between all concerned parties will bring solutions for the workload issue and longer-term perspectives for Belfort site. It falls within an approach that aims at defending and promoting the French railway industry.”
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