Cegelec will provide RandstadRail, the new lightrail system to connect Rotterdam, The Hague and Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, in 2006 with 14 electrical substations. An original approach has been adopted for cost and time constraints, and because of the large number of equipment to be provided. The substations will be designed, integrated into shelters, tested with simulations in “real on load mode” in one single location before being shipped to the Netherlands. This should significantly contribute to meet an imperative deadline (the new lightrail needs to be operational by August 2006) by reducing on site operations which, to a certain extent, will be limited to a "plug & play" process.
The contract was awarded to Cegelec amidst fierce European competition in particular because of its many references in the transport sector and its vast experience in the design and construction of shelter equipment – notably for the defence and telecoms industry. Its strong presence in The Netherlands, with a subsidiary active in the country for the last forty years, was another important asset.
