SNCF announced on Wednesday that it has designated the Spanish railway manufacturer CAF "preferred bidder" to supply 28 new trains for the lines Intercités Paris-Toulouse and Paris-Clermont, for a cost of about 700 million euros.
The offer of Construcciónes y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), which has a French factory in Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Hautes-Pyrénées), "proved to be the best on the criteria of technical performance, innovation and cost ", compared to that of the French manufacturer Alstom, said the public group in a statement.
Oars that will replace the old trains Corail
The call for tenders, launched at the end of 2016 by the SNCF on behalf of the State, concerns the rolling stock of the "balance trains of the territories" (TET, Intercités) Paris-Toulouse and Paris-Clermont, ie 28 oars to which will eventually be added 75 optional trains, including 15 to equip the transversal Bordeaux-Toulouse-Marseille. The order for the first 28 trainsets, which still has to be approved by SNCF Mobilités' Board of Directors on 24 October, "represents an estimated cost of around 700 million euros, to which will be added around 100 million euros for the centers. maintenance.
According to the SNCF, these electric trains are "specially designed for medium and long distance on the 'classic' lines of the national rail network", that is to say outside the high speed domain. The first must come into service in 2023, to gradually replace the old trains Corail. They will be able to drive up to 200 km / h "and will offer a high level of comfort and equipment: ergonomic seats, autonomous access for all disabled people from the docks and inside the train, wifi, plugs and USB ports, spaces for ten bicycles, logistics space for quality catering, "said the national company.
The order must allow the creation of some 250 jobs at the Bagnères-de-Bigorre site owned by CAF since 2008, according to the SNCF.