Alstom to Overhaul MK Caltrans California Car Fleet
NEW YORK--Alstom has been selected by Caltrans to renovate all 66 bi-level intercity passenger vehicles from its California car fleet. The Caltrans fleet was manufactured by Morrison Knudsen in Hornell, NY – an Alstom facility since 1998, between 1994 and 1997. The fleet of vehicles is comprised of four distinctive car types – cab, trailer, coach and food service cars.
The Caltrans fleet of vehicles are operated and maintained by Amtrak, on the “San Joaquin Corridor” from Oakland to Bakersfield, and the “Capitol Corridor” going from Sacramento to San Jose - the third busiest Amtrak operated route in the nation. The fleet operates at speeds of up to 79 miles per hour on 350 miles of track, serving over 30 stations, with a yearly ridership in excess of 2 million passengers.
The contract worth USD13.1 million includes for the complete replacement of the door systems and upgrade of the wheelchair lifts, as well as the wreck repair of one car. The work will be performed over a two-year period without disrupting the daily service, at the Alstom’s new Train Life Services (TLS) facility located in Mare Island, California.
This facility of 112,000 square feet is approximately 60 miles from Caltrans headquarters, located in Sacramento, California. With an opening planned for October 2009, it will provide a wide variety of services, including, wreck repairs, vehicles sub-systems overhauls, and will be the distribution center for parts for the West Coast. Mare Island will be a unique maintenance facility on the West Coast capable of offering such capabilities.
Caltrans has chosen Alstom due to its past on-time and on-budget performance on wreck repairs on various types of passenger vehicles.
This new contract builds on Alstom's momentum in the field of renovations and upgrades in North America, exemplified by the Acela logistic project with Amtrak, originally contracted for a five year period started in 2006, which was extended to a ten year contract.
About Caltrans
Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation agency, which is located in Sacramento, manages 50,000 miles of California highway and freeway lanes, provides intercity rail services with a ridership of over three million passenger per year, and permits more than 400 public-use airports. Caltrans is committed to improving mobility across California.
About Alstom in North America
Alstom in North America is a major player in the rolling stock, transport information solutions and maintenance markets, with:
- Rolling Stock activities covering extensive rehabilitation programs as well as new build cars, in the Hornell, NY Manufacturing Center of Excellence, for customers such as New York City Transit, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
- Transport Information Solutions, serving both the freight and passenger rail market, with particular expertise in proven signaling and control systems, and passenger information and security solutions, from the Rochester, NY and Montreal, QC sites
- Service and maintenance of rail infrastructure and rolling stock, including spare parts supply and logistic chain management, in many sites in the US and Canada under the management of the Chicago office.
About Alstom Transport
A promoter of sustainable mobility, Alstom Transport develops and markets the most complete range of systems, equipment and service in the railway market. Present in over 60 countries, with 26,000 employees, Alstom Transport’s strength lies in its ability to manage entire transport systems, taking in rolling stock, signalling, infrastructure and maintenance, and to offer “turnkey” solutions.
Information is available at www.transport.alstom.com
About Alstom
Alstom is a global leader in power generation and rail infrastructure, setting the benchmark for innovative and environmentally conscious technologies. Alstom is headquarted in Paris, France. Its revenue for fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 was €16.9 billion and its shares are traded on the Paris Stock Exchange.
Alstom is part of the CAC 40 index, the SBF 120 index and the Euronext 100 index.
Information is available at www.alstom.com