Alstom
Alstom was a French multinational company operating in the fields of power generation, electrical distribution and transmission, and rail transport.
1989 Formation of GEC Alsthom, a joint venture company/
1998 GEC Alsthom acquired Cegelec (electrical contracting), and was then listed on the Paris Stock Exchange with a change of name to ALSTOM. GEC and Alcatel sold part of their stakes in the capital (23.6% each) [1]. GEC Alsthom and Cegelec Projects were reunited as Alstom
2000 ALSTOM acquired ABB’s share of the Ljungstrom air preheater business and operated it as part of ALSTOM Power
2014 ARVOS Group acquired the Ljungstrom air preheater business from Alstom and formed its LJUNGSTRÖM Division
2015 The sale of Alstom's power generation and transmission businesses to GE (USA) was finalised, after which the Alstom Group operated solely in the rail sector.
Alstom concentrated on rail transport markets; the company is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, and Pendolino high-speed trains, in addition to suburban, regional and metro trains, and Citadis trams.
Integration of SSL Ltd into Alstom’s UK and Ireland business.
Alstom’s largest ever UK signalling contract was for the full re-signalling of the Great Western Main Line, between Reading and Paddington.
Late 2017, Alstom announced a proposed merger with Siemens Mobility of Germany, the combined entity would be called Siemens Alstom; however, in February 2019, the European Commission prohibited this merger. Subsequently, the company signed a Letter of Agreement to purchase a Canadian train maker, Bombardier Transportation.
2021 Alstom acquired Bombardier Transportation and became responsible for supporting around 67% of the UK’s rail fleet. It employs more than 6,000 people, mainly based in the East Midlands and the North of England, including 2,000 people at its facility in Derby, which is the largest train factory in the country, and the Alstom technology centre at Widnes.
After the Bombardier acquisition, Alstom expected to be able to deliver the widest range of smart solutions in the rail market, from innovative high-speed rolling stock, metros and trams to maintenance, modernisation, infrastructure and signalling.
2021 Alstom and Hitachi Rail announced that the Hitachi-Alstom High Speed joint venture would design, build, and maintain the High Speed Two (HS2) trains (for HS2 Phase 1), including an initial 12-year train maintenance contract.
The joint venture will manufacture the 54 trains at newly enhanced facilities in County Durham, Derby and Crewe. The new 200m-long, 8-car trains will run in Phase 1 of the project between London and Birmingham, and on the existing network, dramatically increasing capacity and connectivity.