Fast train will come only in 2016, says Alstom

Alstom and SCNF guarantee: the Brazilian’s high-speed train (HST) will be ready – even with much raid – only for the Olympics of 2016. For the World Cup, in 2014, no way. “We have all interest and technological capacity to take that project”, guarantees Phillipe Mellier, president of Alstom Transportation, in his austere office on the headquarter, austere also, of the company, in Paris. “But the high-speed train that is going to unite São Paulo, Rio and Campinas is going to depend, in a first stage, of dispossessions and public works. Even if they start soon, there is no time to deliver up to 2014.”

In this same line, the executive Pascal Lupo, president of SCNF, the larger train operator in France, considers that there is no enough time so the HST will not be delivered until the Cup: “For the Olympics is viable, not before this. We are dedicating efforts for that project in Brazil, but will not be possible to deliver up to 2014”.

In SCNF’s sober headquarters in Paris do not lack allusions to Brazil, including two small flags of the two countries in a same pedestal, in the table in which Lupo gives interviews. Moreover, he informed that two expert of the company traveled on last Tuesday, 24, to Brazil, to really verify 80 points that still generate doubts in the company. He justifies these details when reminding that the train Brazilian high-speed train project demands certain attention.

Route – The route has little more than 500 kilometers, similar distance to Paris and Lion, where there is high demand passengers on high speed rail. But Brazil has its own characteristics, like a stretch in which the maximum inclination is 2,5 percent. “We need to find a solution for problems like that, since our goal is to win the bid that should be published until the end of this year”, says Mellier.

Phillipe Mellier, of Alstom Transportation, also bets on the project, despite facing huge competitors, like Germany, Spain, Japan and Korea. He trusts that Alstom will gain the upper hand by the experience that has in the sector: “We have well-off projects in countries of different characteristics, like Southern Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Germany. In each one of these projects is necessary to offer compatible solutions with the country needs. And it has been coming out right in Alstom’s projects, mostly when we ally our experience in machinery to the high level services in SNCF’s Operations”.

Mellier, as well as Pascal Lupo, of SNCF, do not estimate the project cost. “There are many variables to define to finally speak about the total cost”, says Lupo. Also on Mellier it is premature to make predictions: “We have seen various estimates of billion of dollars, but yet is not possible to do an accurate prediction”.

Despite the uncertainties, Alstom continues to hold tasks with Brazilian firms to define how the consortium that is going to dispute the Brazilian high-speed train will be composed. He recalls that the company does not foresee difficulties in relation to equipments, since it has two factories in Brazil: “We are ready to enter the fray”, assures.

“Funding is no problem also because we have contacts with banks. We also have experience in technology transfer, as happened in Korea. Now, we are waiting for the proclamation to be published by the Brazilian government”, said Mellier.

Fonte: DCI