RNS Number:6225Q
Alstom
07 October 2003

                                                                  7 October 2003

                  ALSTOM will supply ERTMS train-control solution
                    for Betuweroute rail line in the Netherlands


ALSTOM, in cooperation with consortium partner Holland Railconsult, will supply
its ATLAS 200 train-control and signaling solution for the Betuweroute, a
dedicated freight rail line from the international seaport of Rotterdam to the
German border.

The total value of the contract awarded by ProRail, the Netherlands'
rail-infrastructure authority, is Euro75 million; ALSTOM's share is Euro62 million.

The ATLAS 200 train-control solution is ALSTOM's implementation of ERTMS at
Level 2. ERTMS is the new European Rail Traffic Management System, made up of
standards for train control, called the European Train Control System, and radio
transmission, called GSM-R. (See the notes below for more information on ERTMS.)

The primary purpose of ERTMS is cross-border interoperability of trains. Along
with interoperability, ERTMS will deliver the benefits of increased safety,
higher speeds and increased capacity for Europe's rail networks.

ALSTOM, with other rail-industry companies, has been at the forefront of ERTMS
development from the definition of standards through validation to testing.
ALSTOM has been testing its ERTMS solution on a pilot line in the Maastricht
area in the Netherlands as well as on test tracks in France, Italy and the
United Kingdom.

The installation of this ERTMS system on the Betuweroute will make the
Netherlands one of the first countries in Europe to introduce ERTMS Level 2 on
an operational line and confirm ALSTOM's position as a world leader in the
implementation of ERTMS.

The 160-kilometer Betuweroute is currently under construction by ProRail's
Betuweroute project organization. The line was commissioned by the Dutch
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and is due to enter
service in 2007.


Notes on European Rail Traffic Management System:

Why is ERTMS needed?

The number one goal of the European Rail Traffic Management System is
interoperability of passenger and freight traffic. Each country has developed
its rail infrastructure independently, and today there are more than 15 types of
train-control and train-protection systems in Europe. ERTMS offers a single
system under which trains that are equipped to ride the rails in one country
would be equipped to operate in any of the others.

What is ERTMS?

ERTMS has two essential elements: the European Train Control System, which
comprises the ground and train-borne equipment that ensures the safe operation
of trains, and GSM-R, the digital radio-transmission standard for railways.

What are the three levels of ERTMS?

ERTMS is designed to allow for progressive implementation on railway lines; each
level offers progressive increases in traffic optimization.

Level 1 provides ATP (automatic train protection), the control of the trains'
speed.

Level 2 provides ATP plus movement authority via radio (GSM-R).

Level 3 allows moving-block operation.

With more than 35 product lines and a presence in more than 60 countries,
ALSTOM's Transport sector offers a complete range of products and services for
new rolling stock, signaling, and electrical and mechanical infrastructure as
well as maintenance and rehabilitation services to four distinct types of
customers: urban transit authorities and operators; intercity passenger rail
operators and rolling stock owners; rail freight operators; and intercity
railway infrastructure owners. ALSTOM's Transport sector, with sales of Euro5.1
billion in financial year 2002-2003, is among the world's leading suppliers to
the railway industry.

Holland Railconsult, an engineering and consulting company, is ALSTOM's
risk-sharing partner for the Betuweroute control-system project. More
specifically, is responsible for applications engineering and integration of the
Betuweroute control system with the existing railway systems.

Holland Railconsult provides solutions for capacity, safety, environmental and
integration on the Dutch rail network. This expertise enables Holland
Railconsult to provide customers at home and abroad with advice, innovative
designs and projects for rail and other transportation systems.

Holland Railconsult employs 1,600 staff, and in 2002 the company achieved a
turnover of Euro144 million euros.


Contacts:

International, general, economic press
Severine Gagneraud/Gilles Tourvieille
Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 55 25 87
internet.press@chq.alstom.com

Trade press
Helen Connolly
Tel.: +33 (0)1 41 66 91 43
helen.connolly@transport.alstom.com

Investor relations
Emmanuelle Chatelain
Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 55 25 33
investor.relations@chq.alstom.com


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