Brazilian train operator SuperVia has ordered 80 Metropolis metro cars from Alstom in a deal worth around 105 million euros.
SuperVia, the main railway operator for Rio de Janeiro state, is aiming to add 480 new passenger cars to its fleet by 2020.
The company is currently investing $2.4 billion in Rio’s passenger rail system in partnership with the state government.
The cars will be produced at Alstom’s Lapa plant and then assembled at a new custom-made facility in the Deodoro area of Rio.
José Carlos Cunha, president of SuperVia, said: “The installation of the factory in Deodoro in an area of 32,000 square meters will bring benefits to both the Brazilian railroad industry, favouring the growth of the sector and creating new jobs.”
SuperVia and Alstom will each invest 6 million euros in the site, which is due to begin operations from mid-2013.
SuperVia’s total railway network is 270 km long and links the city of Rio de Janeiro to 11 other municipalities in the surrounding area. The network includes five lines with 99 stations and transports around 540,000 people per day, a figure estimated to reach one million by 2015.
