Renovating the Tours Tramway Grab Rails: A Project of Industrial and Artistic Excellence!

The city of Tours, with its Citadis 402 tramway network, stands out as a work of art, featuring a distinctively unique interior and exterior design. The layout offers a truly unique atmosphere for passengers. The grab rail renovation project led by MASTERIS is a key part of this artistic and symbolic journey.

Our scope of work focuses on mastering surface treatments to ensure a high level of industrial quality, as it is essential to preserve the unique visual identity of every tram in the Tours fleet.

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Project Context and Importance

The Tours tramway network, inaugurated in 2013, was designed not just as a new mode of transport, but as a piece of urban design. The trams were styled by the RCP Design Global firm, incorporating artistic elements that make them an architectural symbol of the city.

After more than ten years of service, the grab rails require industrial refurbishment to restore a visual aesthetic that is pleasant for passengers.

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Technical and Logistical Specifics

Collaboration with the SNCF Industrial Technicentre in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps is crucial to this project, thanks to its industrial expertise and its local proximity to Keolis, which is responsible for the operation and asset maintenance of the Citadis trams.

Our service includes major operations such as shot-blasting and powder coating of the grab rails, using proven, high-quality industrial processes.

Our technicians use thermosetting powder coatings in two different colors.

This industrial operation restores the visual identity of the Citadis 402 trams to their original interior color scheme. It also meets the operational maintenance standards required by Tours Métropole Val de Loire to ensure a high level of cleanliness.

Custom shuttle crates were manufactured by Keolis to protect and transport the grab rails between the two sites.

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Project Workflow

The renovation of the 40 grab rails per Citadis tram follows a bespoke industrial and logistical process to meet the turnaround times required by Keolis:

1. Each grab rail is visually inspected by Keolis to determine the necessary renovation work.
2. The grab rails are then stripped of their original paint, which had deteriorated over time.
3. A custom painting process was proposed by the lead of our engineering department's painting and coating committee to ensure long-term durability and reliability.
4. An express pickup and delivery service for a portion of the parts allows Keolis to complete the disassembly and reassembly of the grab bars within the required timeframe.

MASTERIS manages the interface and coordination of all parties involved in the industrial renovation stages.

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Respecting the Visual Identity

This collaboration is organized to preserve the art and design of each tram set. This project is unique in its focus on respecting the visual identity of all 21 tram sets. Unique "buds" designed by various local stakeholders in the Tours region (a vocational high school and artisan foundry workers) are being removed and reinstalled by Keolis teams as part of the industrial renovation process.

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MASTERIS' Strengths for this Project

MASTERIS leverages local expertise through its network of technical specialists in the engineering and maintenance of railway and urban rolling stock. The West Engineering Cluster and the industrial capabilities of the SNCF Technicentre in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps are partnering on this high-quality renovation program to ensure the project's success.

Our teams are fully committed to working with Keolis to meet the expectations and ensure the satisfaction of Tours Métropole Val de Loire.

The industrial program began in 2021, with operations scheduled for completion in 2025.

We would like to thank everyone involved for the success of this industrial program, and Keolis for their continued trust.

Photo links and project history:

https://valesens.com/letramwaydetours/

http://les21bourgeonsdutram.fr/index.html

https://lycee-henribrisson.com/les-bourgeons-du-tramway-de-tours/

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