A new Centre of Excellence in Toulouse is dedicated to rail electrical systems

Alstom, IGE+XAO and Safran are strengthening their collaboration by creating a Centre of Excellence in Toulouse for the engineering of onboard railway electrical systems.

Located on the site of the aeronautical equipment manufacturer Safran Electrical & Power, this international centre will be able to accommodate up to 100 engineers, and by using the packages of IGE+XAO, develop railway electrical systems from design to standardisation, whilst completing operational maintenance on electrical products related to Alstom’s transport solutions.

Partners since 2011, Alstom and IGE+XAO have achieved a significant milestone with the signature of a technical and commercial contract over a five-year period. IGE+XAO will provide its software suites dedicated to the lifecycle management of electrical systems, as well as a service ranging from software validation to user assistance, including training and management of the hardware platform.

“With its new development methods, the Centre of Excellence will help to strengthen Alstom’s skills and responsiveness in the field of onboard electrical systems, by benefiting in a collaborative environment from the best practices of the aeronautical sector and the proximity of IGE+XAO’s teams. It will be one of Alstom’s assets in meeting the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility,” said Thierry Best, Alstom’s Director of Operations.

Similarly, Alstom and Safran have signed an agreement, focusing on electrical product design. This new stage in the collaboration between Alstom and Safran responds to an increasing need to share best practices between the worlds of aeronautics and rail. Safran Electrical & Power is providing Alstom with a team of experts in the design and standardisation of electrical systems.

“The creation of this Centre of Excellence is a first for IGE+XAO. It is the culmination of a fruitful partnership with two customers of reference and the maturity of our PLM software suite dedicated to the design, simulation and manufacture of electrical systems. The Centre of Excellence we are creating, in terms of outlook and composition, is a world premiere,” said Alain Di Crescenzo, Chief Executive Officer of the Group IGE+XAO.

“It’s through our subsidiary Safran Engineering Services that we will provide Alstom with our two-fold competence in engineering and electrical services. In recent years, our teams have been involved in the development of major programmes in aeronautics and are enthusiastic about the idea of migrating the sector’s good practices to rail. Managing complexity, concurrent engineering and the global dimension of the teams and customers are all bridges between these two sectors,” said Alain Sauret, President of Safran Electrical & Power.