The €3.75bn contract for 255 trains is the largest contract ever to be financed by Île-de-France Transport Authority (Stif). The new trains will replace the current rolling stock which has an average age of over 30 years.

The first firm part of the order is worth an estimated €1.55bn (70% Alstom - 30% Bombardier) and comprises the delivery of 71 trains - 56 112m-long and 15 130m-long - which will enter service from 2021 onwards.

The X’Trapolis Cityduplex trains comprise two single-deck end cars as well as four double-deck cars on the 112m-long trains, which can carry up to 1563 passengers, and five double-deck cars on the 130m long trains, which can carry up to 1860 passengers.

The trains, which can travel at up to 140km/h, will have open gangways to help cope with further expected increases in passengers following a 7% increase between September 2015 and September 2016.

SNCF will use 130 of the trains on Line D and 125 of the trains on Line E.

The trains will also be equipped with regenerative braking, air-conditioning, wheelchair access and comfortable seating.

Each train utilises eight motor bogies to provide better acceleration and deceleration compared with previous generations of trains.

Nine sites in France will be responsible for the design and manufacturing of the equipment: Alstom’s Ornans, Le Creusot, Reichshoffen, Valenciennes, Villeurbanne, Tarbes, Saint Ouen, and Petit-Quevilly sites as well as Bombardier’s Crespin plant.

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