Alstom, IGE+XAO (www.ige-xao.com) and Safran are strengthening their collaboration by creating a Centre of Excellence in Toulouse for the engineering of onboard railway electrical systems.

Located on the site of the aeronautical equipment manufacturer Safran Electrical & Power, the centre will be able to accommodate up to 100 engineers.

As part of the agreement signed with Alstom, IGE+XAO — a developer of software solutions for the design, simulation and manufacturing of electrical systems — is providing software and associated services for the life-cycle management
of electrical systems.

The agreement signed by Alstom (www.alstom.com) and Safran (www.safran-group.com) focuses on electrical product design and is in response to an increasing need to share best practices between the worlds of aeronautics and rail.

Safran Electrical & Power, a world leader in the field of aeronautical cabling, is providing Alstom with a team of experts in the design and standardisation of electrical systems.

Thierry Best, Alstom’s director of operations, said: “With its new development methods, the Centre of Excellence will help to strengthen Alstom’s skills and responsiveness in the field of onboard electrical systems, by benefitting in a collaborative environment both from the best practices of the aeronautical sector, which is leading the way in this field, and the proximity of IGE+XAO’s teams, experts in the railway electrical industry.

"It will be one of Alstom’s assets in meeting the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility and will contribute to developing projects such as the Athens tram, the new-generation RER or the future TGV.”