France's SNCF to replace high speed trains from 2013; plans to call for tenders |
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Published
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Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:20
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PARIS (AFX) - The managing director of France's national rail operator SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, said the company will replace its high-speed trains (TGV) as of 2013 and will launch a call for tenders, with Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier expected to be in the running.Pepy made the remarks on BFM radio a day after a train built by the French company Alstom set a world speed record on rails of 574.8 km per hour.SNCF will 'launch a call for candidates and then a tender for the future TGV, which will be delivered starting in 2013-2014,' Pepy said.'Fortunately, in Europe, there are tenders and competition will play a role,' the rail executive added. Alstom has played a leading role along with SNCF to date in developing cutting-edge high-speed trains.Pepy gave no details on how much the contract would be worth, but the French daily Le Figaro estimated the SNCF would spend between 7 and 9 bln eur to renew its fleet of trains.All of the existing French TGV's were built by Alstom, the first of which entered service in 1981.For the next generation, Pepy said: 'Alstom will have its product, which is called the AGV, and there there will be other products by other companies, no doubt Siemens, no doubt Bombardier, and the best value will win.'vicky.buffery@thomson.comafp/vb/rfwCOPYRIGHTCopyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
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Alstom, Bombardier win 140 mln eur order for 16 regional trains in France 