Alstom Transport has won a contract worth around €110m (£95m) to supply 48 metro cars for the Brasilia Metro network in Brazil, as well as to modernise its signalling system.
The Brasilia Metro includes 21 stations with 20 trains in operation, and the metro's single line transports an average of 150,000 people each day.
The network is being extended and will cover 47km with 29 stations. Thanks to the new trains and the signalling system, the line will be able to carry more than 300,000 people daily and the frequency between two trains will be three minutes instead of the current 4.5 minutes.
Alstom will supply Brasilia Metro’s public operator with 12 trainsets composed of four Metropolis cars each. The stainless-steel trains will feature a lowered floor, offering easier access to passengers, particularly those with reduced mobility. They will also be equipped with illuminated information boards indicating the stations.
The trainsets will be manufactured at Alstom's Lapa site in São Paulo, which employs around 1,200 people, and the first deliveries are planned for 2010.
In addition to supplying the rolling stock, Alstom will equip the new trains with a signalling system for automatic train operation. This system will also be installed in the fleet of 20 trainsets currently in use, as well as along the entire length of the line and in all the stations.
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