Grenoble, no holidays for the tramway
La baisse de fréquentation des tramways grenoblois durant les mois de juillet et août 2020 ont été mis à profit pto carry out maintenance on the rail network. The SMMAG, Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l’Aire Grenobloise (Grenoble Area Joint Mobility Authority), called on ETF and Eurovia Alpes to carry out this work over the period 2020 and 2021.
ETF and the Grenoble tramway, a long-standing relationship
For more than 10 years, ETF has been regularly working on the Grenoble tramway system to carry out corrective and preventive maintenance. As the second modern network to open in France (1987), the oldest tracks have been used by dozens of trams every day for more than 30 years. Regular maintenance is therefore necessary to ensure the smooth operation and reliability of the network.
A few years ago, SMMAG launched the GEVT project: Major Tramway Track Maintenance. Through these contracts, which generally last two years, ETF teams are committed to maintaining urban mobility in the metropolitan area.
Necessary maintenance that must not impact users
To limit the impact of the works on passenger traffic, the operator prefers to carry out most of the work during the summer months. Even during this quieter period, traffic was only minimally impacted by the works, which were carried out while maintaining service. The work is therefore carried out at night, when the service has finished.
This is a constraint that the ETF teams are able to manage thanks to their experience on SNCF construction sites, where almost all work is carried out in sections.
Details of the work carried out
During July and August 2020, the ETF teams carried out most of the year’s work:
- Rail renewal and track reinforcement
- Replacement of expansion joints
- Repair of turnouts
To complete the work for 2020, the ETF teams will replace half-switches and switch boxes during the All Saints’ Day holidays.