France's SNCF orders 19 Bombardier EMU commuter trains

Bombardier Transportation announced France's state-owned railway company, Societe nationale des chemins de fer francais, (SNCF) has exercised an option for 19 additional Francilien Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) commuter trains. The order, entirely financed by Ile-de-France's transport authority Syndicat des transports d'Ile-de-France (STIF), is valued at approximately $141 million.

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The original firm order for 172 trains was part of a contract signed in 2006 for up to 372 trains. The first call off option order for 22 trains came in 2014 and this second call off order for 19 units brings the total number of Francilien trains ordered by SNCF to 213, leaving the potential for an additional 159 trains. The additional trains will contribute to STIF's overall fleet modernization and be rolled out on the SNCF Transilien line L on the Versailles Rive Droite branch.

Jean Berge, President, Bombardier Transportation France, said, "Due to the high passenger demand placed on the SNCF Transilien network, our clients require not only improved reliability and performance, but also a comfortable train that is able to increase capacity. These trains meet and exceed those needs, making the Francilien the best performing train in the Ile-de-France fleet."

According to SNCF, nine out of 10 Line H passengers are satisfied with the service, as a result of the improvement of transportation conditions, punctuality, on-board information and comfort. Line H, which operates with a full Francilien fleet, scores the Transilien SNCF network's highest punctuality rate of 95%. See STIF January 2015 punctuality report.

Scheduled for delivery between the end of 2016 and mid-2017, the trains have room for up to 1,000 people, feature large seats, open gangways and wide doors to facilitate passenger flow. They will also include proven technology like Bombaradier FLEXX Compact bogies and Bombardier MITRAC Train Control and Management System (TCMS) to provide a smooth and comfortable ride. At present, 155 Bombardier Francilien trains operate out of the Gare du Nord, Gare de L'Est, and Gare Saint-Lazare stations in Paris, France.