Alstom has shipped the first of 17 Coradia Polyvalent trains that have been ordered by the Algerian national rail transport company Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires d’Algérie (SNTF).
The train is expected to reach the port of Algiers on 29 January and the remaining units will be delivered on a gradual basis until July.
Alstom Algeria general manager Henri Bussery said: “Today we celebrate the departure of the first Coradia train for Africa. We are proud to deliver this first train to the SNTF in Algeria.
“Thanks to the trust of our customer and the commitment of our teams, the delivery schedule has been perfectly respected and will continue until July 2018.”
The trains will be designed and manufactured at Alstom’s French facility at Reichshoffen and are set to operate between major cities of Algeria.
A total of five other France-based Alstom sites were also involved in the project, including Saint-Ouen for the design, Ornans for the engines and alternators, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains and Villeurbanne for the locomotives’ onboard electronics and passenger information systems.
The Coradia Polyvalent has been designed in accordance with SNTF requirements and Algerian climatic conditions.
It is a mainline dual-mode train capable of running at speeds of up to 160km/h.
The 110m-long trains feature six cars each and can accommodate 254 passengers, including 60 people in the first class section.
The vehicles are equipped with efficient air-conditioning systems, as well as low floors to facilitate easy access and movement on-board for passengers with reduced mobility.
