The acquisition will help support Alstom’s innovation in hydrogen technology for the railway sector, in addition to the implementation of its Alstom in Motion strategic plan.
The move follows Metra’s board approval in January 2021 to award Alstom a vehicle procurement contract for up to 500 railcars.
As previously announced, the headquarters of Alstom of the Americas will be based in Montréal, Québec.
The transaction reinforces Alstom’s position in the North American signaling market by combining the companies’ advanced technology products and engineering capabilities to the benefit of transit agencies and operators across the U.S. and Canada.
The company joins The Valuable 500, a network of global CEOs committed to ensuring disability inclusion in business leadership.
The new cars will offer increased reliability, while reducing operating costs — a substantial improvement over the increasing expense of maintaining the older cars.
The Coradia iLint is fully approved for the Austrian network after successfully completing three months of passenger operation testing with Austrian Federal Railways.
The cars will form a single uninterrupted train for passengers, serving the mobility of Greater Montreal.
Following positive progress on antitrust regulation process, the closing of the transaction is now expected for Q1 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, with an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to be held in October.
Closing of the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation remains on track for the first half of 2021.