Alstom and Nederlandse Spoorwegen unveil a new production line for Coradia Stream trains in Katowice, Poland

29 November 2018 – Alstom and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), national railway operator in the Netherlands, have officially opened the new fitting line dedicated to the Intercity Next Generation (ICNG) trains to be produced in Alstom’s Katowice facility – one of Alstom’s largest sites worldwide. The new hall was inaugurated by Bert Groenewegen, CFO of NS and Roel Okhuijsen, Director new rolling stock NS, Gian-Luca Erbacci, Alstom Senior Vice President Europe and Radosław Banach, Managing Director of Alstom’s Katowice site, in the presence of Alstom employees.

This new fitting line features the latest technologies and processes applied to improve performance and reduce manufacturing time. Covering 6,500 square metres, the brand-new fitting hall includes 20 work stations representing the full process from pre-fitting to cabling and interior fitting. Car body shell welding and erection, painting and final testing are performed in separate halls. Over 500 employees are currently involved in the ICNG project in different Alstom units throughout Europe, with over 110 on this new fitting line in Katowice. It is designed to produce one train car every working day.

“We are very pleased to welcome NS management today in Katowice to inaugurate the ICNG fitting line. This new line is part of an ambitious investment programme launched by the Alstom for the Katowice site, one of the company’s flagship sites. Our teams in Poland are committed to making it a success,” said Gian Luca Erbacci.

According to the terms of the contract awarded to Alstom in July 2016, Alstom will supply to NS 79 Coradia Stream trains in their intercity version with a maximum speed of 200 km/h and a total passenger capacity of the fleet of 25,000 seats. The complete trainset is based on three types of cars – driving, intermediate and end cars – offering optimised capacity to the operational requirements. This flexible design allows the train’s length to vary from three to ten cars. For NS, Alstom will supply an 8-car as well as a 5-car version. The first trains will be delivered from January 2020 onwards. They will run on the Dutch national network on the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Breda high-speed line in 2021 and on the Den Haag-Eindhoven corridor in 2022. The total contract is worth over €800 million, with options for more trains.

The new Intercity trains integrate the latest technologies offering an excellent on-board experience to passengers and NS staff. They feature spacious and well-lit multi-purpose areas for reading, resting, wheelchairs and bicycles, as well as dedicated restrooms for people with reduced mobility. The trains are equipped with WiFi, power sockets and LED lighting. They present wide access for a swift passenger flow and are equipped with a dynamic real-time passenger information system. All coaches are fitted with security cameras to increase passenger and crew safety. The trains meet the highest standards for interoperability and will be equipped with ATB and ERTMS systems. The trains are able to operate on 25KV AC (High Speed Line) and 1.5 KV DC (main railway network). Alstom’s Coradia Stream is designed and developed in Saint-Ouen (France) and Salzgitter (Germany) and manufactured in Katowice (Poland).

“NS congratulates Alstom and the people working in the Alstom Katowice site with the opening of their new fitting hall, ready to produce not only the Coradia Stream trains for NS, but for many more future projects. After the mock-up presentation in 2017 Dutch railway customers can today see that their new Intercity is coming to life in this  state-of-art production facility,” said Roel Okhuijsen.

Alstom’s Katowice site is a 250,000-square-metre engineering and manufacturing site for metros and regional trains. It is also a worldwide competency centre for metros, and part of Alstom’s Global Engineering Network. Currently, the site employs over 2,000 highly skilled employees. Today, the site runs 19 projects for 10 countries around Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, and manufactures and exports high-tech products. 100% of its production is destined for the export market. Alstom cooperates with up to 468 Polish suppliers not only for its factories in Poland but also for projects being developed in 27 Alstom sites worldwide.