The Société des parcs industriels Sorel-Tracy (SPIST) launched construction of the new Alstom Transport manufacturing plant in the Ludger-Simard industrial park in Canada.

This new plant, slated for completion next fall, supports Alstom Transport’s role in the $1.17 billion contract between a Bombardier-Alstom Consortium and the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) for the manufacture of 468 new metro cars. In accordance with STM requirements, each train must be made using 60% Canadian content.

Alstom’s work at the new Sorel-Tracy site will be dedicated to assembling and integrating trucks for Montreal’s new subway cars. The truck assemblies include propulsion systems and the wooden shoe braking system. Alstom’s local activities will create approximately 60 direct jobs and involve many area suppliers.

The 55,000 square foot plant, designed by its Director, Mr. Jean-François Nadeau, Engineer, and the Architect Eric Champagne, will be a turnkey project, built by Construction Sorel. Marcel Fafard, engineer and project manager, will supervise construction.

In addition to the Sorel-Tracy site, Alstom’s facility in Montreal will supply traction, train monitoring, communication, passenger information and video-surveillance systems. In all, over 300 Alstom employees will have participated in the design, manufacture and implementation of the new STM subway cars over the eight-year term of the agreement.