GERMANY: Alstom and defence group Rheinmetall have agreed in principle that Rheinmetall will take over the Kassel plant where Alstom builds Traxx locomotives. No price or timetable has been given, and the terms are still being negotiated.
Both companies confirmed the agreement on 6 October in statements to regional broadcaster hessenschau and news agency dpa. Alstom described it as an agreement in principle on the future of the site. Rheinmetall said the two sides had agreed on the main cornerstones and that further details still had to be fixed in a contract.
The stated aim is that Alstom’s employees can move to jobs at Rheinmetall Landsysteme, the group’s land systems unit, in Kassel. Alstom said it continues to build locomotives and will deliver to its customers as contracted. About 750 people work at the plant, according to hessenschau.
From talks to an agreement in principle
Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger confirmed in late August that the group was in talks over the plant. About 900 people demonstrated against the plans the week before the agreement was confirmed, hessenschau reported.
IG Metall said many details of the transition are still unresolved, dpa reported. Wolfgang Decker of the Social Democrats in Kassel said the era of locomotive building in the city was coming to an end.
The site is the former Henschel works, which completed its first steam locomotive in July 1848. The handover would follow the path of Alstom’s Görlitz plant in Saxony, which passed to defence group KNDS.
No site named for Traxx
Alstom has not said where it will build Traxx locomotives after a handover. Its competitor Siemens Mobility won an order for up to 100 Vectron X locomotives from leasing company Railpool in September.
Neither company has said how many Alstom employees Rheinmetall will take on.