Bombardier today reached a deal with France to build up to 129 new concept regional double-deck trains.

Right now, Bombardier is confirmed to build 80 trains, at a price of EUR 800-million (USD $1.1-billion). The contract could potentially be worth up to $11-billion US if all orders are fulfilled.

Regional French banks will be financing the project that will see new lines in Nord-Pas de Calais, Aquitaine, Bretagne, among other regions in France.

The initial orders that have been already placed are scheduled to receive the trains in June 2013. These regions include Aquitaine, Bretagne, Centre, Nord-Pas de Calais, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes. Assuming more trains are ordered beyond the current 80, they will be available by the end of 2015.

Most of the development (about more than 70-percent) of the trains will take place in French Bombardier plants located in the northern part of the country, with the remainder being shipped in from other Bombardier plants.

More than 800,000 people use the current regional rail system in France on a daily basis. The new trains will reduce congestion by increasing capacity by an estimated 20-percent while operating more efficiently than the existing lines.