Mechan, the Sheffield-based manufacturer of lifting and railway depot equipment, has made use of its French connection to land an order to equip a new state-of-the-art tram depot on the outskirts of Paris.
CIM Group, Mechan’s parent company, is based in Lisses, 20km south of Paris Orly airport. With CIM’s support, Mechan received an order for a set of 18 lightweight lifting jacks and a bogie turntable for the new maintenance facility that will be used to service a fleet of 22 futuristic trams for the new Tram9 line, a 10km stretch of track connecting Paris’ south eastern suburbs to the existing tramway network.
The equipment will be based in the Orly depot, which is being constructed for project owner Île de France Mobilité and will be operated by Keolis.
The six-tonne jacks have been designed specifically to meet Keolis’ requirements and are from Mechan’s lightweight range, launched in 2018. They have a different base arrangement to account for lower lifting heights, yet they retain all of the features that make the firm’s standard jacks so popular in the rail industry.
Likewise, the eight-tonne bogie turntable is a bespoke design. It will be located strategically between two tracks and used to transfer bogies to a high-pressure cleaning room.
Lindsey Mills, Mechan’s sales manager, said: “This is our second joint project with CIM and it is a pleasure to be involved in equipping such a high-tech tramway depot.
“Our lightweight jacks are gaining popularity rapidly, as users appreciate the flexibility they offer, reinforced by our usual commitment to safety and reliability.
“The T9 order will showcase our high quality, bespoke products to a new audience in France and we look forward to seeing them in action.”
Other CIM companies are also involved in the project. Sogema Engineering (SEG) has manufactured the wheel lathe, NEU Railway the sandblasting and washing facility, while the bogie lift will come from CEFAM.
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