Alstom owns four industrial centers in Spain, where it manufactures trains and trams that are exported around the world.
Its headquarters in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda has seen its workforce double – to more than a thousand employees – in three years and will hire even more staff to face the long list of orders, which include contracts with Renfe and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC ), for a joint value of almost 2,000 million euros, to modernize commuter networks.
The president of the French multinational, Henri Poupart-Lafarge, is participating this week in Barcelona in the congress of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP). In an interview at the corporate headquarters, in the northern Parisian periphery, Poupart-Lafarge spoke about the challenges of the sector, the importance of the Barcelona Metro and Alstom's “bright future” in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda.
What will be the future of the railway in a decarbonized world?
The train will be the backbone of land transport in a decarbonized world. The railway is, by far, the most efficient and sustainable means of transport, not only for CO2 emissions but also for the use of the territory, biodiversity, energy consumption. This also applies to the transport of goods.
What are the big changes that are coming in terms of technological innovation? Hydrogen, artificial intelligence?
You talk about technology, but in terms of objectives it is the efficiency of the system. Today public transport is still not at the level it should be due to the lack of efficiency and reliability of a system that must work 24 hours a day. If you want it to be the backbone, that people trust to go to work or wherever they want, you need trust. The main technologies to achieve this are digital and artificial intelligence, on the one hand, and those linked to energy savings, such as hydrogen batteries, for a "green drive". We are making progress in both areas. In this sense, we are working on autonomous trains to gain efficiency and reliability.
They have hydrogen-powered trains in Germany. Why are they only used there?
Because it was the first place where the operators, the Länder, thought of it to replace diesel. We developed it there ten years ago. The other countries became interested much later. For Spain it would be ideal for all its wind energy. Spain must be a hydrogen country. We are studying it.
There is a real offensive, almost a war, against private vehicles in some cities. Paris is a good example. Good news for your company, right?
Not only for our company, I see it as excellent news for the world. The policy against cars started a few years ago and, to a certain extent, it was unrelated to CO2. The issue of cars in the city is pollution and space. Why the hell, even today, few people in Paris still occupy 50% of the space? Yes, all cities are going towards public transportation. Think that urban highways used to be built and now some dismantle them, and that is better for everyone. What is complex is how to bring people to the city. We have to work on suburban networks.
Is the Barcelona Metro a reference for Alstom?
The Barcelona Metro has always been a reference. It is where we developed our first standard meters. We also have trams. We can say that Barcelona has always been, for Alstom, a showcase for the world.
Also because of its high density?
Yes, because of the high density and because it is a relatively new Metro, compared to other cities like Paris. It has few old infrastructures and new lines. From Santa Perpètua de Mogoda we have exported most of the meters to Latin America. The same type of Barcelona metro runs in Panama, Lima, Santo Domingo. It is one of the most automated production centers that we have, very impressive. He has a bright future.
Commuter trains are a serious political problem in Catalonia. Do you have any proposal?
I am not an expert on the commuter trains in Barcelona, but I can tell you that it is a priority everywhere. In France it is number one. The same in China. It is not abnormal. The cities have expanded a lot and it is difficult to bring people from the periphery. Consider that a large part of the CO2 emissions are due to the movement from the suburbs to the center of the cities. We need to have an efficient and sustainable system.
Do they have problems finding qualified personnel, such as engineers, the same as in other sectors?
Yes, it is a general problem. Today we have 12,000 vacancies around the world (out of a workforce of close to 80,000 employees). What is interesting in recent years is the total change in the reasons why they come to work with us. Many do it for our sustainable project, and that's fantastic.
Is there an ethical factor? It's not the same as working for the nuclear industry...
Yeah, I think we're in a better position than other industries for that reason.
But building trains isn't as sexy as working in finance...
Depends. Some people are really drawn to this sustainable project. Some young people are attracted to money, but others find in Alstom a way to combine a job and what they think is the right future.
President Macron always talks about reindustrialization as an absolute priority. Is it just rhetoric or do the facts confirm it?
It is true that, if you look at the figures and compare them with other countries, French industrial production has gone down significantly. The most important thing, in France and in Europe, is that we have to show enthusiasm for the industry. People need to understand that when faced with the challenge of sustainability, the industry is the answer to the problem and not the problem. The world has to launch this incredible wave of investment to change transport, energy or even traditional industries like steel. There has to be a long wave of industrial investment in the next decade for the carbon-based world to transition to a more sustainable world. For that we need a lot of forces and also the voice of the industry.
