A contract worth 120 million

Alstom has been awarded a contract to supply four high-speed
Pendolino trains for the Helsinki (Finland) to St. Petersburg
(Russia) rail link. The contract is worth 120 million. It
provides, in addition, for an option for two further trains. The
customer, Karelian Trains, is a joint venture between Russian
Railways (RZD) and Finnish Railways (VR), which will co-manage
the trains. This is the first contract won by Alstom in the
Russian mainline rail sector.

The new Pendolino trains will operate on a 450-km, high-speed
line connecting the cities of Helsinki and St. Petersburg in 3
hours (the journey currently takes 5.5 hours) at speeds of up to
220 kph. The trains will comprise seven carriages, making a total
of 352 seats, with a business class fully equipped to allow
business meetings during the journey. Customs and passport checks
will be carried out onboard in a dedicated carriage.

The trains, scheduled for delivery in early 2009 and ready for
service in 2010, are based on the Pendolinos which already
operate in Finland, featuring the same front-end and interior
fittings and adapted to extreme winter conditions. They also
include components taken from the very latest generation of
Alstom tilting trains, the New Pendolino (traction system,
braking system and hydraulic tilting mechanism),  and come
with a dual voltage power supply system and safety and signalling
systems, making them suitable for the Finnish and Russian
networks. The trains will be manufactured at the Alstom site at
Savigliano, Italy.

Alstom supplied electrical equipment for the Moscow
underground system in 2001. In Finland, 18 Pendolino trains and
30 suburban trains manufactured by Alstom are currently in
service.

This new contract represents a major step in the
development of Alstoms presence in the Russian Transport
market and also strengthens the Groups long-standing
successes in Finland, stated Philippe Mellier, President
of Alstom Transport Sector.

Press contact:

Cécile Dodat


Tél. : + 33 1 41 66 91 48 / +33 6 72 59 83 70

cecile.dodat@transport.alstom.com