Alstom has been granted by the French Public Rail Safety organization (EPSF) the Authorization for Commercial Use (AMEC) for its Régiolis, the latest generation of regional train from the Coradia range.
This approval, involving Eurailtest, Certifer, RFF, and the SNCF, covers all the Régiolis trains ordered so far by the 12 regions concerned , regardless of configuration. An important milestone, this authorisation opens the way for the trains to enter operational service from 22 April.
To obtain this authorization, 10 pre-series Régiolis train sets covered 350,000 km during a total of 1,400 test days, involving up to 200 people from 20 different organizations. Around 50 specialist Alstom engineers and technicians were needed to successfully complete these tests and respond to the 10,000 French and European requirements before the Régiolis could travel safely on the national rail network. The Régiolis project has involved more than 4,000 people in France.
In total, 12 French regions have chosen the Régiolis to deal with the increase in traffic on their network. The first train sets are expected to enter service during April 2014 in the Aquitaine, Lorraine, Alsace and Picardy regions.
In order to successfully complete these tests, Alstom has invested nearly €17 million in the development and set-up of the Railway Test Centre (CEF) in Bar-le-Duc, on a site leased from the RFF for a 15-year period. This investment has been used to fit out a test track for trials to be run at up to 160 km/h, suitable for certification of the trains' principal functions: acceleration and braking, noise levels and electromagnetic compatibility. Alstom has also invested € 40 million over the last few years in adapting the industrial facilities at the Reichshoffen site to the needs of Régiolis production.
