The Alstom logo.
Alstom is a large multi-national company that makes transport related products. Alstom makes the TGV, the AGV and the Eurostar trainsets. Alstom also produces wind turbines.
History
Started in 1928, and by 1977 Alstom had made the world record for the first 1500mW generating power generator at the Paluel power station, which was meant to be a 1300mW station. In 2010 Alstom announced the opening of a wind turbine assembly facility in Amarillo, Texas, to whom the majority of wind turbines in the states of Texas and California are manufactured by Alstom.
Operations
Alstom Transport employs some 2000 people in the UK at over 20 locations. Operating out of Mainline Traincare Centres and Metro Traincare Centres nationwide, Alstom has full service provision and technical support contracts with a number of train and metro operating companies, notably for the Alstom designed and built Pendolino fleet for Virgin Trains .
Alstom built much of the current fleet of metro trains running on the London Underground and today provides maintenance for the Jubilee and Northern Line fleets. From its Preston site, Alstom provides dual expertise as the company’s UK supplier of spare parts and logistics and global centre of excellence for lifetime traction support. The site is the only traction systems engineering knowledge centre in the UK.
As well as maintaining and extending the life of many existing fleets on the UK rail network, Alstom has led the move to high-speed rail in the UK, delivering the final 20kms of track and overhead line for final phase of Paris-London High Speed 1 line.