French govt buys fast trains for slow tracks to save historic Alstom plant

France’s Socialist government announced on the 4 October 2016 orders for 15 high-speed trains, mostly for tracks on which they cannot run at their maximum speed, in a pre-election bid to preserve jobs at a historic Alstom plant in Belfort.

France24 reported that the rescue sparked considerable debate about the cost to taxpayers and the long-term viability of maintaining production at the historic Belfort factory, with some saying that the SNCF rail company does not need the trains being ordered.

• Primary Source

Euro|Topics: Debates, October 2016: Paris attempts to rescue Alstom plant http://www.eurotopics.net/en/167250/paris-attempts-to-rescue-alstom-plant

Railway Gazette, 04.10.16: French government and Alstom agree Belfort rescue package http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/french-government-and-alstom-agree-belfort-rescue-package.html

The Local.fr, 04.10.16: French state orders 15 high-speed trains to save factory https://www.thelocal.fr/20161004/french-state-orders-15-high-speed-trains-to-save-factory

Politico, 13.10.16: French Alstom rescue raises hackles in Brussels http://www.politico.eu/article/french-alstom-rescue-raises-hackles-in-brussels/

---