Expansion of Le Mans depot: making room for new tram trains
ETF participated in a major urban mobility project in Le Mans: the extension of the tramway depot and maintenance workshops, made necessary by the lengthening of the trains by 12 metres.
Longer trams for increased capacity
To address the saturation of the public transport network, Le Mans Métropole and SETRAM have decided to extend the trams by an additional 12 metres (from 33 to 44 metres). Each tram will be able to carry 85 additional passengers, bringing the total capacity to 296 passengers.
This 40% increase in transport capacity aims to ease congestion during rush hour and accommodate the influx of visitors during major events.
A transformed storage centre
Located near the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the storage centre has been completely adapted to accommodate these new trains: enlarged maintenance workshops, redesigned storage racks, two new tracks built and its terminus adapted.
A collaborative project
ETF worked on the ‘railway tracks’ lot, in partnership with Eurovia HRC. Our teams carried out:
- the removal and installation of new track equipment at the entrance to the storage centre,
- the construction of two additional tracks, each 250 metres long,
- additional work at the station.
This project, supervised by the project manager SCE, took place in a particularly constrained space and involved several companies working simultaneously, posing a real organisational challenge. The installation of the track required a month-long suspension of traffic, during which time all trains were stored in the centre — a logistical challenge successfully met by our teams.
By 2026, 34 extended trains will be running on the network. This modernisation will offer additional capacity for 72,000 passengers per day. The city of Le Mans thus becomes the first French municipality with fewer than 300,000 inhabitants to extend its tram network.
