ALSTOM Transport creates a new design department

Xavier Allard, 45, has 21 years experience in
automobile design. He has worked as Design Director of the
industrial vehicles ranges of Renault Trucks and for products
of Renault Agriculture.

He has had responsibility for the design of engines within
the Industrial Design Department of the Renault group.

He is the author of RADIANCE, a truck concept
that attracted considerable attention when it was presented at
the Hanover show in 2004. Xavier Allard is taking over the
leadership of a team of designers already working in the ALSTOM
head office in St. Ouen. The new Design Department reports to
the Product and Strategy Department.

Previously, the design of ALSTOMs trains was managed
project by project, often in collaboration with an external
designer. Under this arranement, ALSTOM worked with Giugiaro
for the design of its new high-speed PENDOLINO train and of the
Turin tramway. The tramways of the CITADIS range destined for
Paris (the tramway des Maréchaux) and for Le Mans, were
designed in collaboration with the RCP (Régine
Charvet-Pello) consultancy.

ALSTOM is now adopting a more global approach to design and
to integrate it into the development of its range of trains. It
will continue to work with each client concerned with
personalising his train, particularly with regard to the
interior fittings and the customer specific livery on each
train. Collaboration with external designers on specific
projects will continue, but will be supervised as part of a
strategy aiming at developing an authentic identity for ALSTOM
trains.

The design and badging of our trains,
says Philippe Mellier, President of ALSTOM Transport,
will demonstrate the confidence we have in the
quality of our products. The railways must devote the same
attention to the aesthetic qualities of their products as the
aeronautical and automobile industries do to theirs. I was
eager for our company to be one of the first to embark on this
course.

With more than 35 product lines and a presence in more than
60 countries, ALSTOM's Transport sector offers complete
products and services for new rolling stock, signaling, and
electrical and mechanical infrastructure as well as maintenance
and rehabilitation services to four distinct types of
customers: urban transit authorities and operators; intercity
passenger rail operators and rolling stock owners; rail freight
operators; and intercity railway infrastructure owners.
ALSTOM's Transport sector, with sales of 4.9 billion euros in
financial year 2003-2004, is among the world's leading
suppliers to the railway industry.

Press information :


Susanne Trabitzsch


Tél. + 33 (0) 1 41 66 97 16

mailto:susanne.trabitzsch@transport.alstom.com