Pitching strongly for an Indian Railways contract, European transport major Alstom said on Wednesday it can offer advanced locomotives at cheaper rates without compromising on quality.
"We are targeting India. We will participate in the tender to be floated soon by the Indian Railways for 1,000 electric locomotives. We will offer 10 per cent cheaper price than other companies," Alstom's locomotive platform director Jean-Marc Tessier told PTI.
The company unveiled on Wednesday the design of Prime II locomotives, the advanced version locomotives with high speed.
He said the company would strike a balance between performance and cost so that it could offer the rebate without 'affecting the quality', he said.
Tessier said Alstom, a leading producer of locomotives, will develop dedicated platforms in India if it gets the contract.
The platforms would cater to all types of needs ranging from freight to passenger requirements, he said.
Tessier's comments comes days after France's Minister of State for Transport Dominique Bussereau said during his visit to New Delhi that both France and India are exploring more scope for technical and business partnerships.
Recently, the France Railways and the Indian Railways have signed an agreement for technical cooperation maintenance and upgrading the facilities.
Alstom would submit its proposal for the locomotive tenders by September this year, Tessier said. The company is looking for a partner in India to which it can transfer the technology.
"We will develop, validate and transfer the technology to our partner in India. So far we have not found out a partner in India," he said.
Alstom has developed about 500 locomotives for China. It may develop both -- Prima-I, the earlier model, and the Prima-II, locomotives for India as per the requirement, he said.
The Prima-II locomotives will be advanced locomotives with added features like comfort and better environment management capabilities.
The company has set up its plants in India and is also involved in providing power service equipment. It has got contract to supply turbines and generators for the 2000 MW Subansiri lower hydro power project in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
