Alstom awarded service contract in Switzerland worth
22 million

This contract will run for a period of ten years, starting
14 January 2009. It relates to a fleet of more than 500 trains
running on the Mattstetten-Rothrist section of
Switzerlands first conventional line equipped with Level
2 ERTMS signalling equipment, put into operation by Alstom in
2003. The Chemins de Fer Suisse opted for Alstoms Level
1 and 2 ATLAS wayside signalling solution for the
section of track linking Bern and Zurich (45 km). Alstom also
supplied Level 2 on-board equipment for more than
500 trains. Thanks to these solutions, trains can travel at 200
km/h rather than 160 km/h, cutting the journey time between
Bern and Zurich from 70 to 55 minutes. Full commercial service
started in March 2007 with 250 trains a day.

ATLAS is a signalling solution designed by Alstom to meet
the requirements of the European Rail Traffic Management System
(ERTMS). Two levels of technology are currently available on
the market: Level 1 and Level 2. ATLAS Level 2 establishes a
continuous dialogue between train and wayside using GSM-R
wireless technology. Train drivers are therefore in permanent
contact with control centres. These advances make conventional
track signalling systems redundant. ATLAS also significantly
boosts line capacity in complete safety, allowing drivers to
receive traffic information to anticipate and adapt their
speed, thereby optimizing acceleration and deceleration phases.
The ATLAS system makes it possible to reduce safety distances
between trains, increasing the amount of traffic tracks can
handle by an average of 10%-20%.

This is the first service contract signed between SBB and
Alstom. Alstoms Charleroi site in Belgium will be
responsible for executing the contract.

The Alstom Transport 'Services' business includes the
maintenance, modernization and the supply of spare parts for
rail systems (rolling stock, signalling and infrastructure). It
represents over 20% of Alstom Transport's turnover and is one
of the business lines with the strongest growth prospects over
the next 10 years with the opening of freight and passenger
transport to competition. In recent years, Alstom has won a
series of major contracts for the maintenance of freight
locomotives for BNSF (USA), Pendolinos (high-speed tilting
trains) in service on the West Coast Main Line in the UK,
metros in London and Bucharest (Romania) and Citadis tram
systems in Barcelona and Reims, for example. Since 2006, Alstom
has also supplied all spare parts for Amtraks ACELA
Express (USA) and was awarded a modernization contract in 2005
for the AVE (very high-speed train) in Spain.

About Alstom Transport

With sustainable transport in mind, Alstom Transport develops
and offers the most complete range of systems, equipment and
services on the rail market. Alstom Transport can manage an
entire transport system, from rolling stock to signalling and
infrastructure, and offers turnkey solutions. In 2007-2008,
Alstom Transport's turnover was 5.5 billion and its
orders increased by 39% over the previous financial year.
Alstom Transport is present in over 60 countries and has 26,000
employees. The company recruited 3,000 engineers and executives
worldwide in 2007 and expects to hire a similar number in
2008.

Press contact:

Laurent Gerbet


Tel. + 33 (0) 1 41 66 92 83 / +33 (0) 6 88 06 61 85


laurent.gerbet@transport.alstom.com

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