FRANCE: Infrastructure maintenance contractor TSO has ordered two Plasser & Theurer MetroFlex E³ battery-electric tamping machines customised for use on the rubber-tyred metro lines in Paris.
A special tamping concept is necessary to deal with the complex trackform; the rubber tyred wheelsets run on horizontal guideways mounted on the sleepers outside the conventional rails, and thus pose an obstacle while tamping.
The E³ drive system will be able to take power from the conductor rail and from an onboard battery when the traction power is switched off.
The supplier says this offers the ‘perfect solution’ for operation during the tight overnight window when the metro is closed between 01.00 and 05.30. It will enable quieter and cleaner working in the tunnels, with no diesel emissions; electro-dynamic braking will also reduce the production of fine dust.
Plasser & Theurer is working with TSO and metro operator RATP to evaluate how modern measuring technology and digital tools can be used to optimise cost, quality and time requirements with greater precision.
The manufacturer reports that 14 E³ machines taking power from an overhead contact line are now in service worldwide, and another 60 are currently being produced.
