REM wagons will be delivered on time with initial defects corrected: Alstom

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Initial quality failures will not prevent Indian-made cars for the Réseau express métropolitain light rail network from being delivered on time and on budget, according to the French company that is building the rolling stock.

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Production of the trains will resume early next year after a series of corrective measures were implemented, said Michael Keroullé, Alstom SA’s new president for the Americas. Quality controls have been tightened on subcontractors responsible for defective parts, he said.

A preliminary inspection of the train cars intended for use in REM revealed manufacturing flaws that could pose a “potential risk of injury” to passengers, Radio-Canada reported last month . The assembly, wiring and finishing did not comply with the best train construction practices, said Jean-Marc Arbaud, head of the promoter of the CDPQ Infra project, in a letter to the director of the consortium, Eric Appert, adding that the quality of the product delivered “was not of the expected level”.

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Controversy erupted in Quebec in 2018 when Alstom, which is part of the SNC-Lavalin-led consortium chosen by CDPQ Infra to build the first sections of REM, said it would produce the train cars in India. Alstom has said that the cars will be customized to withstand Montreal winters.

“We have taken all the comments made by our customer very seriously,” Keroullé said in an interview when asked about the first batch of train cars. “Nothing in this is critical to passenger safety, but it is important and we have addressed it with the urgency required. There will be no additional costs or project delays. “

So far, Alstom has delivered 37 cars, which is more than the 28 required to begin service in the first section of REM, between Brossard and Montreal Central Station, next year, Keroullé said. Under their agreement with CDPQ Infra, SNC-Lavalin and Alstom will maintain and operate the light rail network for 30 years.

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Problems with the first series of trains include incomplete handlebars and “imperfect” welding, Keroullé said.

“There are parts that were outsourced,” he said. “When we know that a supplier has given us products that do not reach the required quality levels, we correct it by doing more frequent quality controls.”

The requested corrections are “benign” in nature and focus on the paint, interior panels and parts of the wiring, said Emmanuelle Rouillard-Moreau, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, in an emailed response to questions. Arrangements are being made in Brossard, at REM’s maintenance center, without having to send the cars back to India, he said.

“We have the right processes in place to ensure the final quality of REM rolling stock, including many tests that are carried out on a daily basis,” said Rouillard-Moreau. “To date, this process is progressing in accordance with our expectations. The collaboration of the teams is very good ”.

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Pausing deliveries for a few weeks will ensure “that we not only fix the problems on the trains already delivered, but that these problems are not repeated on the trains that are still being built,” said Keroullé. “All these action plans have been shared with the client, in a spirit of transparency. We are quite confident in this contract. We believe it will be a great success ”.

All rail equipment projects experience manufacturing problems of some kind, Keroullé insists.

“Building a train involves assembling parts that are manufactured all over the world. Whether it is built here or in India, there are always problems that need to be corrected, ”he said. “The main thing is to have a process that allows us to see problems in advance. There are still several months to go, so this is the right time for us to get these kinds of feedback and make sure the trains are up to specification. We know that expectations are high. This is a project with a lot of visibility ”.

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Alstom recently completed another highly publicized project when it delivered the last of 639 Azur métro cars built for the Société de Transport de Montréal. The STM subsequently put into service the last Azur train built at Alstom’s La Pocatière plant , limiting an additional order of 17 trains announced in 2018.

Europe’s largest train manufacturer inherited the La Pocatière facility when it completed its $ 3.6 billion acquisition of Bombardier Inc.’s rail unit in January. Regarding the deal, Alstom agreed establish its American headquarters in Montreal and create a design and engineering “center of excellence” in the area.

A two-year modernization of the La Pocatière site is underway as planned, which should allow the factory to be more competitive while increasing employment to around 350 from 250 now. Some 50 welding jobs are already open, and the company recently set up a nearby training center to fill some of the positions.

“La Pocatière has a number of advantages, including its know-how,” said Keroullé. “It is a strategic site for us.”

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