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Vossloh Locomotives France SAS (VLF), subsidiary and French service centre of Vossloh Locomotives, today signed a contract with the French rail vehicle constructor and service specialist Socofer France to establish the joint venture IMATEQ. The aim of IMATEQ is to pool the existing capacities and expertise of each company and thus expand the range of service and maintenance options for locomotives in France. Vossloh Locomotives will be represented by Daniel Touzalin as President and Dirk Schwarzer as General Director on the IMATEQ management board. Bertrand HALLE, managing director of SOCOFER, will be the chief representative of the joint venture.

The demand for comprehensive maintenance and service of rail vehicles in relation to accident repair, restoration and refitting has grown in recent years in France. This trend is also reflected in the experience of VLF, which has been primarily involved in mobile service since 2008. With the joint venture IMATEQ, resources will be expanded in line with market demand. Based in Saint-Pierre-des Corps, a city of the Indre-et-Loire department, located between Orléans and the Atlantic Ocean, IMATEQ is the leading all-rounder in the services sectors for locomotives.

Thomas Schwichtenberg, managing director of Vossloh Locomotives: "Expansion of our services is a key part of the strategy of Vossloh Locomotives. Together with our established partner SOCOFER, we are laying down a strong marker for our existing customers and for new customers in our primary market with the establishment of IMATEQ. In addition to powerful and reliable locomotives, they expect a high level of quality from us in terms of service and repairs." As well as expanding its product range, VLF also benefits from Socofer's excellent reputation and good networking as well as the central location of the shared operating facilities.

"This joint venture combines the powers of two major players in the market," explains Jean-Louis HALLE, Chief Financial Officer and legal manager at SOCOFER. "Thanks to the rapid implementation IMATEQ has laid the groundwork for future growth from the outset."

http://www.vossloh-locomotives.com/en/press/press_releases/press_releases_detail/08122015.html