Aistom's history (originally called "Alsthom") is that of a company which has been international from
its very beginnings in 1928 and whose raison d'être has always been industrial excellence. The
reader can follow Alstom's unique path via the most innovative achievements of their time which
have all affected the daily lives of several generations.
Untold until now, this history covers the many sites of Alstom's different activities in over 70 countries as
well as the people who have played a role in its strategy, journeying through both mergers and divestments,
like other large multinationals, and facing the challenges imposed by international events and political
changes on the areas where Alstom is active.
A high-tech, global company, Alstom today covers three infrastructure markets which are essential for
economic, social and environmental development: power generation, electricity transmission and rail
transport. The Group is a world leader in many areas: Alstom equipment generates the electricity which
lights one in four of the world's many billion light bulbs. Worldwide, Alstom makes seven out of ten trains
capable of over 300 km/h, as well as one out of every three tramways and one metro in four.
With more than 500 mostly unpublished images, this book takes the reader into the heart of Alstom's
workshops, test facilities and projects which marry gigantic size and pinpoint precision. It revives the
memory of hard-earned technical progress and is a true reflection of a company at the core of environmental
responsibility which, far from being the concern of just experts, affects each and every one of us.
