There have been numerous challenges integrating the two businesses, among them integrating two different cultures, bringing teams together, harmonising two sets of systems, tackling challenging projects, harmonising terms and conditions and implementing the synergies which are commonly expected when businesses are combined.
Among the most challenging of projects is the Aventra EMU programme. Litchurch Lane in Derby is the largest Alstom manufacturing site in the world, but is not without its problems. The Aventra is an amazing train, but there have been complications with software, said Mr Broadley.
The Aventra order book is substantial, with 2,660 carriages ordered through six different UK contracts. Derby is also working on an export order to build vehicles for the Cairo monorail, the first of which have already left the UK for Egypt.
On acquiring Bombardier, Alstom realised the full scale of the challenge it faced with Aventra. This included inventory stacked in different areas around the site at Derby and significant numbers of part-finished trains parked up at Worksop, all in different states of completion. An early task was to assess the state of each carriage, each of which needed its own rectification plan.
