The new SNCF maintenance and stabling depot in Montigny-lès-Metz has been inaugurated. Dedicated to the maintenance of TER trainsets in the Grand Est region, this strategic facility strengthens regional rail operating capacity while incorporating technological innovations that are a first in France. Egis contributed to the design and deployment of the site’s railway signalling systems, working alongside UNIFER for track infrastructure and EQUANS for overhead contact lines and central systems.
With 8 stabling tracks, 4 workshop tracks and capacity for 41 TER trainsets, the Montigny-lès-Metz site is now a key link in the region’s rail maintenance network.
A major innovation for railway signalling in France
The new Montigny-lès-Metz maintenance depot stands out for commissioning a signalling interlocking based on commercial off-the-shelf safety PLCs, a first in France for a heavy rail maintenance centre.
This architecture replaces the proprietary analogue or digital systems traditionally used in railway installations. It offers several major advantages:
- greater independence for the infrastructure manager from proprietary technologies;
- a smaller footprint for technical equipment;
- optimised installation and operating costs;
- simplified integration with existing equipment;
- greater scalability to meet the site’s future needs.
The maintenance centre is also equipped with a fully integrated computerised staff protection system (SPP). This solution supervises all the safety procedures required for team interventions, improving both operator safety and the smooth running of maintenance operations.
Montigny-lès-Metz is also a pioneer in deploying Frauscher axle counters for train detection, a technology set to be gradually rolled out across the national rail network.
Egis, signalling systems integrator for the project
On this project, Egis’s Signalling teams carried out all design, integration and commissioning tasks:
- functional studies of the installations;
- design of the railway interlockings;
- production of construction documents;
- specialised civil engineering for signalling equipment;
- workshop prefabrication and pre-wiring;
- installation of trackside equipment;
- testing, inspections and technical verifications;
- coordination of interfaces with the track, overhead line and building packages.
This work illustrates Egis’s ability to support its clients throughout the entire lifecycle of railway signalling projects, from studies through to entry into service.
A railway maintenance depot designed to limit its carbon footprint
Beyond its operational performance, the site was designed to meet the requirements of the BBCA Exploitation label, an approach still rare in the field of railway depots.
In a sector where equipment is highly standardised, Egis’s teams identified several environmental optimisation levers. One of the most significant was to refurbish existing point machines rather than systematically replacing them.
This approach reduces the project’s carbon footprint while maintaining the levels of performance and safety expected of first-class railway infrastructure.
A further reference for Egis in railway maintenance depots
The inauguration of the SNCF maintenance site in Montigny-lès-Metz strengthens Egis’s track record in the design and delivery of railway maintenance depots in France.
The Rail Transport teams are currently supporting numerous similar projects in Nantes, Rouen, Saint-Étienne and Marcheprime. This experience enables Egis to address all the technical, regulatory and operational challenges involved in rolling stock maintenance infrastructure.
