FRANCE: National operator SNCF Voyageurs has unveiled the first of the Grand Est région’s TER 2N NG double-deck electric multiple-units to undergo mid-life refurbishment as part of the national OPTER programme.
SNCF Voyageurs is to refurbish 125 Bombardier Transportation AGC and 41 Alstom TER 2N NG units for Grand Est at its Bischeim workshop, which was previously dedicated to high speed rolling stock but has now been adapted to work on regional trains. The work is set to run to 2031 and cost €552m, fully funded by the Grand Est regional authority which has also invested in a new maintenance centre in Montigny-les-Metz.
Each EMU requires four to five months of work. All the technical equipment is being assessed and refurbished, and corrosion treated. The seats are being replaced with new ones with power sockets, first class is being moved to one area, accessibility improved and the number of cycle spaces increased.
Grand Est has chosen many of the options proposed by SNCF Voyageurs Matériel and its rolling stock maintenance and engineering subsidiary Masteris, including adapting HVAC output to the passenger loading and increasing CCTV coverage.
The trains are receiving a Grand Est livery, with a mention of the EU-funded ETCS onboard equipment which is used on services to Luxembourg and will be used between Thionville and Metz by the end of 2025.
Grand Est’s 25 three-car TER 2N NG sets will be the first to be refurbished, with the first unveiled on December 4. These are used on the Sillon Lorrain corridor which carries French commuters from Nancy and Metz to Luxembourg and is one of the busiest regional routes in France outside the Paris area, with 25 300 daily passengers. The TER 2N NG EMUs owned by Luxembourg are also being refurbished.
Grand Est is hoping to double ridership on the route, and is to increase capacity by acquiring 16 five-car TER 2N NG sets from Normandie where they are being replaced by new Alstom Omneo 2 trainsets. These 16 trains will also be equipped with ETCS before entering services in Grand Est at the end of 2025.
