Saint Ouen Cedex, France – ALSTOM confirmed as the winning bidder for the Toulouse tramway Toulouse’s joint public transport authority (SMTC : Syndicat Mixte des Transports en Commun de l’Agglomération de Toulouse) confirmed unanimously during its General Assembly on 18 April 2006, that the city’s tramway contract is to be awarded to ALSTOM. The Tender committee indicated during the press conference held on 5 April 2006, that ALSTOM’s bid won as it ‘proposed better technical qualities’ regarding comfort and accessibility as well as financial advantages, ‘whatever parameter was used for comparisons. With Toulouse, ALSTOM confirms the success of its CITADIS tramways that now run on 21 networks worldwide.

The total contract worth € 65.7 million comprises a fixed portion for design studies and the production of a full-scale model as well as 4 other parts for the supply and maintenance of 27 tramway sets.

The contract signature, which is scheduled before mid–June 2006, will be for the fixed portion. The first 18 tramways, corresponding to the first conditional section of the contract, will be ordered as soon as the Declaration of Public Interest is received by the SMTC, expected to be no later than February 2007. Maintenance will concern the entire tramway fleet just like other 5-year contracts which have already been entrusted to ALSTOM in Barcelona, Dublin, Orleans and Valencia.

CITADIS trams will run on the 11 km-long Line E serving 20 stations. This first tramway line is an integral part of the extension of Toulouse’s transport network. The line is scheduled to enter into service in 2009, the tramways being delivered from the end of 2008 through to the first quarter 2009.

The tramways will offer safe, comfortable and punctual service while providing easy access for all, including the mobility impaired. ALSTOM’s CITADIS trams will incorporate tried and tested modular components whilst still meeting the specific requirements of the Toulouse region.

The Toulouse CITADIS will be built partly in the Midi-Pyrenees region ; ALSTOM’s Tarbes site will provide the propulsion system, which will be assembled in the company’s La Rochelle plant, along with other equipment, notably engines from Ornans, bogies from Le Creusot and on-board electronics from Villeurbanne.

ALSTOM confirms its tramway success with this order. 21 cities worldwide have thus far chosen the CITADIS, totaling some 760 tramway sets. To date, the 350 CITADIS in operation have carried 100 million passengers and traveled over 70 million kilometers.