FRANCE: Production of rolling stock at Bombardier Transportation’s Crespin factory in northern France is to be stepped up thanks to a €25m investment programme.
Dubbed Plan 1000, the package announced by the company on December 4 will give the plant the ability to turn out 1 000 vehicles a year. It will also allow the company to make up for lost production time caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Having taken on 160 additional staff at Crespin since September, Bombardier Transportation plans to create a further 240 jobs as part of the expansion programme. New production lines will be set up and modern tooling will be introduced with robots used for selected tasks.
At the same time changes will be made to improve the plant’s environmental credentials, for example by reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds. A further €4m will be invested in suppliers so that they can meet the higher demands from Crespin.
During 2021 the Crespin site is contracted to produce 400 Francilien cars for Paris suburban services and more than 500 Omneo cars for regional multiple-units. Other orders in progress include intermediate cars for Nouvelle Génération double-deck EMUs destined for Paris RER Lines D and E and driving trailers and other cars for Type M7 double-deck trainsets for SNCB in Belgium. The plant will also be involved in building MF19 cars for the Paris metro.
A socially-distanced ceremony to mark the launch of the programme was attended by the president of the Hauts-de-France région Xavier Bertrand and other local dignitaries.
