Alstom to win US train deal from Amtrak

The US branch of France's Alstom is in line to win a big piece of US railroad Amtrak's $2.5 billion next-generation high-speed rail project, Senator Charles Schumer said Monday.

The powerful New York senator said Amtrak is expected to announce the choice of Alstom, which builds trains in Hornell in western New York, as a key supplier in the deal on Tuesday.

Schumer stressed in a statement that the government-controlled Amtrak is choosing Alstom to exclusively negotiate a final contract for the deal, "with the goal of final approval by the end of December 2015."

"This impending decision by the board paves the way for Alstom to build the next-generation high-speed trains that will operate on the Northeast Corridor and is a monumental victory for upstate manufacturing," the statement said.

Alstom employs more than 1,000 people in the area and Schumer said the new contract could lead to 750 more jobs for New York state.

"It will prove to be a win-win-win that would improve rail safety, bring jobs to upstate New York, and improve the Amtrak experience for passengers along the entire Northeast Corridor."

The Northeast Corridor route is the semi-commercial Amtrak's most popular and money-generating route, connecting Washington with Boston via Philadelphia, New York and other major cities.