Rail systems company Alstom has been awarded a contract to supply 15 regional trains to Senegal to increase the country’s capacity to transport passengers between expanding cities.

The contract was awarded by Senegalese agency APIX, which was mandated to promote investment and major civil building works, acting on behalf of Senegal’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Land Transport and Opening Up.

The trains, which will be designed, manufactured and validated at Alstom’s Reichshoffen site, in France, aim to meet the increasing need for mobility in Dakar, a city expected to expand its population to five-million inhabitants by 2030.

Five other sites in France will be involved in the project: Saint-Ouen for the design, Le Creusot for the bogies, Ornans for the motors and alternators, Tarbes for the traction system and Villeurbanne for the on-board information technology systems and passenger information.

The trains will operate on a new rail line that will eventually connect the centre of Dakar to Blaise Diagne, the new international airport in Diass (about 50 km away) through the new town of Diamniadio. The trains will serve 14 stations over 57 km, which will be covered in 45 minutes. The number of daily passengers is estimated at 115 000.

Alstom Middle East and Africa senior VP Gian Luca Erbacci notes that the new trains combine passenger comfort, reliability, performance and respect for the environment.

“We are also pleased to contribute to the development and modernisation of the African rail network, from Senegal to South Africa through Algeria, owing to our proven mobility solutions that benefit from the very latest technological innovations.”

Meanwhile, the Alstom Coradia Polyvalent train for Senegal is dual-mode (diesel/electric) and capable of operating at 160 km/h. With a total length of 72 m, the train has four cars, with a capacity of 400 passengers travelling either first or second class.

The trains are adapted to the climatic and environmental conditions of the country, with a highly efficient air-conditioning system. Its low floor provides easier access and on-board movement, particularly for people with reduced mobility.

The Coradia Polyvalent trains, already adopted by French railway company SNCF and the French regions, as well as by Algerian railway operator SNTF, belong to Alstom’s Coradia range of modular trains, which benefit from more than 30 years of expertise and proven technical solutions. More than 2 400 Coradia trains have already been sold worldwide and 1 900 trains are currently in circulation.