FRANCE: Infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau has awarded four major track renewal contracts designed to provide suppliers with increased visibility of future work.
Eiffage Rail and Captrain will renew 49 turnouts on the Atlantique, Nord-Europe and Sud-Est high speed lines in a contract which runs for four years with an option for a further two years.
The second contract covers track and ballast renewal on 524 km of route. It is worth €415m, with Eiffage having an 80% share and Captrain the remainder.
Under the third contract worth almost €700m ETF will renew 800 km of track and ballast on conventional lines using several mobile factory trains.
The final contract will see Colas Rail and TSO renew ballast on high speed lines.
The contracts run for seven years with options for a further two years, and are designed to enable the suppliers to optimise the use of equipment and include an bonus/penalty system. There is a commitment to reduce the carbon footprint by 2% to 4% per year, for example by using hydrogen locomotives.
