According to the newspaper Le Temps, a total of 150 jobs will be cut. The staff was informed of the decision on Thursday. A social plan is to be negotiated.
Alstom-Bombardier intends to continue to build rolling stock on its Villeneuve site. However, it wants to diversify its offerings.
“We especially want to transform Villeneuve into a service centre,” said Cora Hentrich-Henne, Alstom-Bombardier’s general manager for Switzerland.
Rough patch
In October, the French firm lost a Swiss Federal Railways contract for 286 singe-decker trains worth CHF2 billion ($2.16 billion) to Swiss competitor Stadler Rail. Alstom-Bombardier has filed an appeal.
The company’s existing contract with the national rail company also ran into obstacles. In 2010, Alstom-Bombardier won a contract worth CHF1.9 billion to build 62 double-decker trains for the Federal Railways.
The project was delayed by four years after an organisation representing people with disabilities complained that the new trains were not accessible. The Federal Court ruled in favour of the railway company and Alstom-Bombardier eventually managed to deliver 54 trains that were built at the Villeneuve plant.
Although the initial contract left open the possibility of an order for 100 additional trains, this does not seem to be on the cards, according to Le Temps.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
Switzerland jostles to attract mobile millionaires
This content was published on
Potentially toxic arsenic compounds can form in the human body when seafood is consumed. This is caused by arsenobetaine, which is often found in seafood. It can be converted into partially toxic substances by intestinal bacteria.
This content was published on
Swiss retailer Coop is expanding its programme to avoid meat waste. A corresponding pilot project is gradually being extended to the entire store network.
This content was published on
Women and foreign nationals are rarely found on the boards of directors of Swiss small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
Almost 700,000 people moved house in Switzerland in 2023
This content was published on
In Switzerland, 9.3% of the population moved in 2023. This was the lowest rate in over ten years, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
New trial in Zurich for lawyer in ‘cum-ex’ scandal
This content was published on
German lawyer Eckart Seith, considered in Germany to be the whistleblower in the cum-ex transaction scandal, is set to appear for trial again in Switzerland on Monday.
Swiss Federal Railways rated second best in Europe
This content was published on
The best railway company in Europe is Trenitalia, according to NGO Transport and Environment (T&E). Swiss Federal Railways came second.
Berset: ‘Democracy is regressing in several countries’
This content was published on
Democracy is backsliding in a number of nations and needs to be strengthened, says Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe.
Fall of Assad: Switzerland calls for reconciliation in Syria
This content was published on
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, the Swiss foreign ministry has called on all parties to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Federal Railways posts record losses
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways has reported a third fewer customers on trains and in stations in 2020 and a loss of CHF617 million.
Disabled group takes Swiss trains to Supreme Court
This content was published on
Switzerland’s umbrella organisation for disabled groups is taking the new double-decker trains to the Supreme Court, saying they are illegal.
This content was published on
Jump on, ride to your stop, hop off — without offending anybody. Sounds easy, but it’s not, warns a guru of Swiss transport etiquette.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.