Alstom’s Algerian joint venture, Cital, has signed a deal which will see it assemble and maintain its first regional and intercity trains.
The framework agreement was signed between Cital’s existing shareholders, Alstom, EMA (Entreprise Métro d’Alger) and Ferrovial, and SNTF (Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires), which has acquired a 10 per cent stake in the joint venture.
SNTF plans to order 98 bimodal Coradia Polyvalent regional train sets from Cital, which has so far only produced light rail vehicles, for Algeria’s growing rail network.
To meet the new demand, the size of Cital’s facility, which is located just outside the coastal city of Annaba, will be more than quadrupled and the workforce doubled. Once the site is extended, it will be capable of assembling one new train a month.
Gian Luca Erbacci, senior vice-president of Alstom Middle East and Africa, said: “Cital’s extended activity will certainly contribute to the emergence of a railway hub in Annaba, reinforcing Algeria’s industrial sector while offering a larger number of people the opportunity to travel via reliable, safe and environmental-friendly modes of transport.”
