Alstom strengthens its Vado Ligure site: new train and locomotive maintenance facility and control room for European Traxx fleets inaugurated

• The new facility, developed with the support of the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, strengthens Vado Ligure’s role and expands the site’s activities to include the maintenance of regional and high-speed trains, as well as locomotives
• The modernised control room enhances remote monitoring and technical support for Traxx locomotives operating across European rail networks, combining advanced diagnostics, predictive maintenance and 24/7 assistance
• The inauguration marks another milestone in Alstom’s business diversification and site revitalisation journey, launched in 2021

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, today inaugurated a new facility at its Vado Ligure site dedicated to the maintenance of regional trains, high-speed trains and locomotives. The facility was developed with the support of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. The expansion also includes the modernised control room to better support customers operating Traxx™ locomotive fleets across European rail networks, strengthening centralised fleet monitoring, diagnostics and technical support. The inauguration marks another milestone in the site’s revitalisation and diversification journey since it became part of Alstom in 2021, further strengthening its expertise in maintenance and digital services, and consolidating Vado Ligure’s role as a key Alstom hub at European level.

The event was attended by Paolo Ripamonti, Regional Councillor for Liguria, representatives of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Fabio Gilardi, Mayor of Vado Ligure, and Alstom’s management team.

“The new facility and the enhanced control room represent two tangible achievements in the revitalisation journey launched by Alstom in Vado Ligure, supported by investments of more than €20 million and made possible also thanks to cooperation with the institutions, starting with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Their contribution has helped ensure continuity and create development opportunities for the site and the surrounding area. Today, we are continuing to build on the industrial heritage and expertise developed over 120 years of history, diversifying our activities and strengthening the site’s international dimension. Vado Ligure is increasingly becoming an integrated site, bringing together manufacturing, maintenance and digital services to support railway fleets across Europe,” said Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom Italy.

Covering an area of more than 2,570 m² and extending over 130 metres in length, the new facility is dedicated to Level 2 maintenance of regional trains, high-speed trains and locomotives. Integrated with the site’s existing railway and production infrastructure, the facility is equipped with two tracks, allowing maintenance activities to be carried out simultaneously at different levels of the vehicles. Fully digitalised maintenance processes help increase operational efficiency while improving the traceability and quality of maintenance activities. The facility carries out inspections, checks, functional tests and scheduled maintenance, as well as overhaul and retrofit work to modernise vehicles. This include the removal and refitting of bogies as part of the general overhauls carried out at Alstom’s Savigliano site, as well as work on components such as braking and air-conditioning systems.

With the modernisation of the control room, its scope has expanded to cover fleets operating beyond Italian borders and across European railway networks, further strengthening the international role of the Vado Ligure site. The control room provides centralised expertise in fleet monitoring, diagnostics and technical support for Traxx™ locomotives, combining advanced digital technologies with 24/7 assistance to identify and resolve issues early, minimise service disruption and get locomotives back into service quickly.

The control room brings together three complementary areas of expertise: data management and diagnostics, fleet monitoring, and real-time support for drivers. Through HealthHub™, Alstom’s digital solution for condition-based and predictive maintenance, specialists analyse locomotive diagnostic events to identify potential failures in advance, support troubleshooting and define corrective actions in collaboration with maintenance teams. These activities are supported by a help desk, which provides train drivers with real-time technical assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping to troubleshoot, reduce service recovery times and return locomotives back into operation as quickly as possible.

With more than 2,500 Traxx™ locomotives currently in service across Europe, the Vado Ligure control room already supports 360 locomotives, with the aim of progressively increasing this number to approximately 600.

The modernisation of the control room further consolidates Vado Ligure’s role not only as an industrial and maintenance site, but also as a centre of expertise for digital services and fleet support on a European scale.

The development of Vado Ligure is part of Alstom’s industrial plan for Italy, which includes investments of more than €63 million over the 2024–2026 period. Between 2021 and 2026, the Group invested approximately €20 million in the Ligurian site, which currently employs around 300 professionals.

The production of Traxx Universal™ locomotives remains the site’s main activity, with more than 250 units of this platform sold in Italy. Thanks to these investments, the site is expanding its expertise, complementing manufacturing activities with maintenance and major overhaul services, complex work on high-speed trains, and the outfitting of the Power Car for Italy’s first hydrogen-powered train.

Cooperation with Alstom’s other Italian sites, particularly the Savigliano facility, promotes the sharing of expertise and processes throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle.

Founded in 1906, the Vado Ligure site is one of the historic centres of Italy’s railway industry, having produced locomotives that have shaped the history of rail transport in the country. From the E.550, Italy’s first three-phase electric locomotive, to the E.636, E.444, E.633, E.652 and E.464 models, the site has produced more than 2,000 locomotives over more than a century of operations. The site is also home to “Binari d’innovazione” (Tracks of Innovation), a permanent exhibition inaugurated as part of the celebrations marking the site’s 120th anniversary. The exhibition is dedicated to the history of the Vado Ligure site, railway engineering and the contribution of the people who have accompanied and shaped its development over the years.