A publicly traded French multinational company manufacturing and providing systems, equipment and services for the railway sector.

Alstom has been active in Israel for over 25 years, supplying carriages to the Israel Railways as early as the 1990s. The company holds two fully-owned Israeli subsidiaries: Citadis Israel Ltd., founded in 2005, and Bombardier Transportation Israel Ltd., which was acquired by the company in 2021.

The Jerusalem Light Rail

Alstom is involved in the construction and operation of the Jerusalem Light Rail project, directly as well as through its fully owned subsidiary, Citadis Israel, which is the maintenance contractor for the project.

The Red Line is the first section in operation of the tram system in Jerusalem, known as the Jerusalem Light Rail. The project connects large Israeli settlement blocs in occupied East Jerusalem with the western part of the city, expropriating occupied Palestinian land and promoting increased territorial contiguity for settlements on the expanse of Palestinian neighborhoods. The rail became fully operational on December 1, 2011.

In 2001, Alstom and 4 other companies established CityPass Group to bid for the NIS 1.7 million tender for the construction of the first line of the light rail in Jerusalem.

In October 2002, CityPass was selected to be the franchisee and operator of the red line of the light rail in Jerusalem for the years 2011–2021.

Alstom has led the construction consortium and provided a fleet of trains, systems, infrastructure and signals for the Red Line project, as well as the “Citadis 302” light rail vehicles, and infrastructure maintenance services from the beginning of the line operation in 2011 until April 2021.

In 2011, Alstom sold its holdings (20%) in CityPass Group for NIS 25 million. However, Alstom retained its holdings (80%) in the project contractor company (EPC) and its full ownership of the maintenance contractor, Citadis Israel, which holds a 22 year contract to operate the project.

In 2020, the Israeli government signed an agreement to buy back the Jerusalem light rail Red Line concession from CityPass for NIS 1.6 billion. Following the acquisition, CityPass and Alstom signed an agreement under which Alstom gets NIS 95 million from CityPass.

According to CEO of Alstom Israel the red line project was one of Alstom’s flagship projects.

In 2016, Alstom joined with Israeli company Mobileye to create a pilot project for the installation of a camera combined collision warning system in the Jerusalem light rail carriages.

Read more on The Jerusalem Light Rail.

Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway (A1)

Formerly a subsidiary of Canadian company Bombardier Inc., Bombardier Transportation was acquired by Alstom on 29 January 2021. Bombardier Transportation is Israel Railways’ largest equipment supplier.

Bombardier Transportation is the supplier of coaches and electric locomotives (engines), ‘Bombardier Traxx`, which are in use in the electrified A1 railway.

The A1 railway route, also known as the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway, crosses the Green Line into the occupied West Bank in two areas, using confiscated occupied Palestinian land, some of it privately owned, for an Israeli transportation project aimed exclusively for Israelis.

In 2018, the company signed a deal with Israel Railways, the state-owned railway company, for the provision of 54 double-deck coaches and 11 control cars at a cost of USD 126 million, for use on the A1 railway to be provided by 2020.

In August 2015, the company signed a NIS 1 billion contract with Israel Railways to provide it with 62 electric locomotives which will gradually replace existing diesel locomotives and power the 369 existing Bombardier railway cars as well as power all A1 fast trains.

For more read Who Profits 2017 flash report Crossing the Line: The Tel Aviv Jerusalem Fast Train (A1).

Additional services to Israel Railways  

In 2021, Alstom began an overhaul project for Israel Railways, valued at around USD 15 million and scheduled to be completed by January 2023. The project includes the overhaul of door systems, jumper cables replacement, and renewal of passenger information system.

In November 2021, Israel Railways has issued a Notice to Proceed request for 36 additional Bombardier TRAXX locomotives from Alstom, as part of a 2015 framework agreement for the supply of electric TRAXX locomotives in a deal worth USD 260 million.

In 2020, Alstom signed a new reciprocal purchase agreement with the Israeli Industrial Cooperation Authority at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, estimated at over USD 220 million.