Siemens increases its stake in MATRA Transport International

In order to facilitate and reinforce the position abroad of MATRA Transport International, the Lagardere and Siemens groups have decided to modify their respective percentage holdings in the company.

The new majority shareholder, Siemens by raising its interest from 50% to 95% of the issued share capital, is thus confirming the original policy it undertook in 1996 when first investing in MATRA Transport International, and is demonstrating its confidence in the competence of the MATRA Transport International’s teams.

Based in France, MATRA Transport International, Siemens’s worldwide center of expertise, is fully responsible for all driverless metro projects as well as for automatic train control systems and will now have access to new opportunities in world markets.

The Lagardère group, whilst remaining a shareholder with 5% of the capital, will pramaraly concentrate on an increasing integration of its high technology activities with Aérospatiale, and considers Siemens determination to develop their interests in MATRA Transport International’s activities as a very positive step forward for the MATRA Transport International’s teams.

On the eve of the Euro’s introduction, this share reorganisation will permit the export of Europaen technologies throught a global world network. This new developement for MATRA Transport International is totally in harmony with the reality of building Europe together.

MATRA Transport International has sales of around 1 billion FF, a back log of 3.4 billion FF and employs almost 600 staff, chiefly in Paris and Lille.

Thanks to MATRA Transport International worldwide, 11.5 million passengers are transported per day by automatic train controlsystems, over 900 million passengers carried by the VAL system to date, in total safety.