Alstom discussing sale of rail factory in Görlitz, Germany – reports

Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Görlitz, Germany could be sold off according to reports, as the manufacturer continued assessing its operations in the country. 

The coach and car body manufacturing facility was inherited by the French company after its takeover of Bombardier Transportation in 2021, but its future has been left hanging in recent months after the company’s CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge said it has “overcapacity” at its German sites. 

Alstom did not directly confirm a potential sale but has told media that it was in “constructive” discussions with an unnamed second party on the future of the site in Görlitz. 

The Waggonbau Görlitz factory has been open since 1849 and is working on multiple orders that would keep it in operation until mid-2026, but its future remains uncertain and likely depends on the identity of a potential buyer. 

The factory’s potential sale reflects a wider move away from construction in Germany by Alstom after the company’s regional director told media earlier this year that utilisation of its full manufacturing capacity in the country was not part of its strategy. 

Factories in Hennigsdorf and Bautzen had also been left with their futures uncertain after Poupart-Lafarge’s comments, but a $4.3bn contract signed between Alstom and go.Rheinland and Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) last month provided certainty for their operations. 

The landmark contract will see Alstom construct 90 new trains for VRR’s services in Cologne, with initial development to be conducted in Hennigsdorf and production to be completed in Bautzen. 

The potential closure of the Görlitz site also comes only months after Alstom’s factory in Derby, UK was saved from closure by a £370m ($472m) contract from Transport for London after months of discussions with the UK Government.