ETF wins award in the final round of the 2017 Vinci Innovation Prize

SNCF Réseau has launched a vast programme to modernise the Île-de-France rail network. This modernisation involves replacing outdated tracks in densely populated areas, despite numerous constraints. Usually, different wagons are used to transport new and used ballast. ETF has decided to adapt the work trains to the specific characteristics of densely populated areas by using double-deck conveyors. These ‘double-flow’ trains will arrive at the site filled with new ballast, unload it, and leave with a load of old ballast. This means that there are no more empty hoppers. This double-flow train has a throughput of 1,000 t/h and a carrying capacity of nearly 5 t/m. It improves both productivity and the environmental performance of construction sites. Four trains are currently in operation in the Île-de-France region on the Dense Areas construction site. Four more have been ordered for 2018 to ensure the renewal of tracks on more conventional lines. Presentation video at the Innovation Awards ceremony: