New high speed line in Finland opened with Alcatel advanced signaling solutions

Euro 12 Million contract was awarded by the Finnish Rail Administration (RHK)

Paris, September 19, 2006 – Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced that it has equipped the new high speed line connecting the Finnish cities of Kerava and Lahti with signaling technology. The 63-kilometer long line in southern Finland was commercially opened on September 1st

Over the last 2 years, Alcatel has equipped the route with the very latest train control and signaling technology. This has resulted in a substantial reduction of travel time between Lahti, a city with nearly 100,000 inhabitants, and Helsinki. The 220 kilometer per hour high speed trains connect the Finnish capital and Lahti via Kerava in only 44 minutes, compared to 82 minutes previously.

This new High Speed Line Kerava-Lahti is equipped with five new Alcatel LockTrac 6151 (ESTW L90 5) electronic interlocking systems, which are controlled from the existing Centralized Traffic Control Center in Kouvola, which was put into service in October 2001.

In addition, the contract included the delivery of outdoor equipment such as main signals and axle counter detection points as well as the disposition system ARAMIS used in order to visualize current operations and to compare train schedules.

This order has been the most important milestone for Alcatel in Finland since the first interlocking system installed in 1999.


About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com

About Alcatel’s Railway Solutions
To meet the challenge of increased mobility, Alcatel offers a host of advanced railway solutions that ensure safe, reliable and comfortable transportation of passengers and freight through the network. Drawing on wide international experience in all aspects of transport automation and network integration and services, Alcatel is a leading worldwide supplier for signaling - train control, train routing, control centers - and integrated communications solutions to carry and distribute voice, data and video to and from all sites of urban and main line rail. Whether enhancing, renewing or building new lines, Alcatel is an ideal partner to address the operational needs of main line and urban rail operators

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Robin Karvo

Corporate Media Relations

Alcatel

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