At the end of January, Alstom announced the completion of the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation, giving the enlarged Group a combined ‘proforma revenue’ of around 15.7 billion euros and a ‘combined backlog’ of 71.1 billion euros.

The Group now employs 75,000 people world-wide in 70 countries, has ‘unparalleled R&D capabilities’ and a complete portfolio of products and solutions.

Henri Poupart-Lafarge, chairman and CEO of Alstom, said: “Today is a unique moment for Alstom and the mobility sector world-wide, with the creation of a new global leader centred on smart and sustainable mobility.

“More than ever, the world has to engage in a deep environmental and social transition to be able to address the great challenges of urbanisation, equal opportunity to economic development and climate change. Transportation, essential to the working and social life but with great environmental impact, is at the heart of this transition.”

The Group will have an ‘unparalleled commercial reach in all geographies’. While Alstom already had a well-established customer base in France, Italy, Spain, India, South East Asia, Northern Africa and Brazil, Bombardier Transportation will bring ‘strong customer proximity’ in strategic markets such as the UK, Germany, the Nordics, China, and North America.

It will also have ‘very strong capabilities’ in Europe and North America, which represent about 75% of the OEM accessible market. By integrating Bombardier Transportation, Alstom will have the most complete rail portfolio. In rolling stock, its portfolio will range from light rail to very-high-speed trains, including new products such as ‘people mover and monorail’.

Moreover, the Group will be able to serve its clients with a ‘wider maintenance facilities network and larger predictive maintenance capabilities. With a fleet of 150,000 vehicles, Alstom will have the largest installed base world-wide, while its signalling product line gains significant scale, becoming No 2 world-wide.