Alstom was awarded a contract by China’s Chengdu Metro Corp Ltd. to supply the traction systems for 288 metro cars due to circulate on Line 3, the city’s new metro line.

The line is being built in three phases, with a first phase to open in August 2016. The contract is for phases 2 and 3 of the line, expected to start its trial run in 2018. When complete, Line 3 will include 37 stations, connecting the suburbs of Chengdu to the center of the city.

Through its Chinese joint venture SATEE (Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment Co. Ltd.), Alstom is supplying its metro traction system OptONIX, specifically designed and developed for the Chinese market. OptONIX is Alstom's high performance, high reliability traction system specifically developed to improve operational performance and reduce life cycle cost.

Alstom was also in charge of supplying the traction systems for the 144 metro cars that will circulate on the first phase of Line 3. The traction systems for all three phases are being manufactured by SATEE in China and Alstom in France and Belgium, with components supplied by Tarbes and software supplied by Charleroi.

Alstom has supplied traction solutions for 750 metro cars on the Chengdu metro lines, and for 3,400 metro cars of 18 metro lines in 8 cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao and Hong Kong.

Alstom and SATEE have been supplying traction for metro cars in China for more than 15 years.