China where he will today sign a contract of 1

The Board of Directors of the SNCF yesterday upheld the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Transportation as grand prize winner of the tender launched in February 2004 for the renewal of the regional Ile-de-France network trains. This huge contract, for which Bombardier was widely favourite ("Les Echos" of July 18), deals with a firm order for 172 trainsets for 1.85 billion euros (1.35 billion for the manufacturer, the balance being made up of hardware options and maintenance the SNCF and the Union of the Ile-de-France transportation will take their dependants). It will be 50 funded by the national society and for the balance by the STIG, who enjoys a 400 million State aid. Added an optional tranche of 200 trains bringing the total amount of the contract to 4 billion euros (2.7 billion for Bombardier).

"Delivered from late 2009 to 2015 on the basis of 30 oars per year, will these 172 trains allow to replace more than 20 of the according material circulating today", said Anne-Marie Idrac, President of the SNCF. "They will be priority assigned to certain lines from North, East and Saint-Lazare stations", said Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the STIG. Big loser of this call for tenders, Alstom has responded, yesterday, asking the SNCF to provide criteria for the award of the contract. "We want to understand what happened," tells the "Echos" Philippe Mellier, President of the pole transport.

Guarantee of employment

Close the record source, Bombardier would have proposed for equipment of equal quality a lower price by 10 to that of the French. China, where he will today sign a contract of 1.3 billion for the delivery of 500 locomotives, its CEO, Patrick Kron, said, to explain the difference in price, doubt the ability of rival which has a unique site in France, in Crespin, near Valenciennes making all trains in France. "He will have to check with them which will be made components, for example", he said.

In fact, to the controversy launched by certain policies and Alstom Transport unions on the consequences in terms of employment for the award of the contract to Bombardier, the SNCF, the STIG and the person had constantly yesterday to talk about a guarantee of employment. This command "corresponds to 1,500 industrial jobs over 10 years, provides Anne-Marie Idrac." "All the elements of this train will be assembled in France," insists Jean-Paul Huchon. Assembled certainly, but on the basis of components that can come from abroad, has however not hidden Bombardier. For the latter, the construction of the new self-propelled according (NAT), which will be launched in 2009, will take the relay from the railcars of large capacity (MCO), commissioned by very many regions for their transport, and may even on the overlap period claim an increase in the workforce. "This command allows to guarantee employment in our Crespin plant for ten years," said a spokesman for the group.

So far, to meet delivery times and meet the demands of the Transport Minister, Dominique Perben, who welcomed Tuesday "that there may be an industrial cooperation between Bombardier and Alstom", the québécois should be induced to entrust a part of the contract to its French competitor. "We have the desire to associate very significantly Alstom", promises André Navarri, President of Bombardier Transportation. So, officially, the negotiations will be open that once the contract is signed, that is to say soon, discussions underway. They should be concluded no later than end of 2006.

Source close to the record, the French could get 40 of the contract, and thus ensure a support plan in its plant in Reichshoffen in Alsace, specializing in engineering and mounting.