Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) has awarded a contract valued at nearly €80 million to a consortium made up of Alstom Transport, Colas Rail, Setec Ferroviaire, Spie Batignolles TPCI and Nouvetra for the purpose of modernizing the “Sillon Alpin Sud” (Alpine Arc South) line. Alstom’s share amounts to €20 million. Preliminary studies for the project began in November 2011. Work on the project will begin in January 2013 and is expected to last nine months.

Specifically, the project involves wiring the 80 km of track between Valence and Moirans with a 25 kV/50 Hz power supply; creating a substation in Perrele; adjusting the gauge of the Têche, Poliénas and Rochefort tunnels; and constructing a link between the Valence TGV station and the conventional line.

Alstom, the consortium leader, will be working with Colas Rail to install the electrification equipment. Spie Batignolles TPCI along with Nouvetra and Colas Rail will be responsible for civil engineering. Setec Ferroviaire will provide integrated project management in accordance with a design-build contractual framework.

The project will promote development of the suburban and intercity rail links between Grenoble and southern France, helping to make rail transport a more competitive option than transport by road. It will also boost freight traffic between France and Italy, from the north via the Dijon-Modane route and from the south via the Valence-Grenoble-Montmélian route.