Nexans secures global frame agreement to supply FLAMEX® cables for Alstom’s new trains

• Three-year global frame agreement will see Nexans supplying tens of thousand of kilometers of specialized rail cables a year for Alstom’s new generation of rolling stock.

Paris La Défense, 06 MAY, 2020 – Nexans has secured a, three-year global frame agreement with Alstom to design, manufacture and supply high performance FLAMEX® cables and services for the Alstom’s new rolling stock, including metros, trams, regional and high speed trains.

Under the terms of the frame agreement, Nexans will supply Alstom with tens of thousands of kilometers of cables a year to form the electrical backbone of trains in applications ranging from high voltage cables for the pantograph and power distribution but also control and data cables for sensors. Typically, a one meter length of a modern train carriage will be fitted with around one kilometer of cables. Increased levels of data handling are essential to support passenger information and entertainment systems, as well as train monitoring systems. Therefore, Nexans designed new types of communication cables for Alstom including Ethernet  cables for faster data transmission and low loss coaxial cables for antenna – essential for wifi development.

Rolling stock is one of the toughest applications possible for electrical cables, where they can be subjected to extreme temperatures – both hot and cold, as well as high stresses, water, chemicals, impact and vibration. On top of their outstanding durability, rolling stock cables must also offer exceptional performance in terms of fire safety to protect passengers, being both flame and fire retardant and emitting low smoke and toxicity. The FLAMEX® power, control and communication cables are compliant with EN 45545-2 requirements for the highest hazard level class and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant.

Handling electrical cables is critical in the production flow of Rolling stock. The Group tailored solutions to help Alstom completing on time challenging projects. Nexans Smart inventory management facilitates the real-time monitoring & management of stocks by enhancing real-time stock visibility, anticipating real-time stock consumption, accelerating stock reception processes & procedures and optimising stock tracking & counting processes.

Michael Luther, Nexans Segment Manager Rolling Stock, said: “We have a long standing partnership with Alstom and we are very proud to renew our agreement for a further three years. This frame agreement underlines Nexans ambition to be market leader in enhanced solutions for the global rolling stock market. We regard it as a statement of trust in our common approach to cooperate as globally oriented partners in a demanding environment as well as helping to drive continuous improvement of our products and services. Combining RFID technology and demanddriven supply chain models, Nexans successfully facilitates the real-time monitoring & management of stocks by enhancing real-time stock visibility and consumption.”

The rolling stock cables are manufactured in Nexans’ factories in France and Germany for supply to various Alstom manufacturing sites and subcontractors, located across the world.