Albi, June 21, 2023
A historic player in the renovation and reconditioning of passenger transport equipment, SAFRA has just put a Dublin tramway train back on the rails, after 8 months of work in its workshops. The project was historic not only in terms of its location, since it was the first international contract won by the French company, but also in terms of its technical nature, since it required exceptional logistics to repatriate this imposing piece of equipment from Ireland to the Albigensian workshops.
The first international renovation project
On February 13, the Citadis type 401 tramway set belonging to the Dublin network was safely back on track after 8 months of work. This 3001 trainset, dating from 2004, was involved in a serious collision with a dump truck near Smithfield station in March 2020.
SAFRA, which has specialized in the reconditioning and heavy maintenance of urban passenger transport vehicles for over 65 years, naturally positioned itself for this operation launched by Transdev Dublin. On the strength of its recognized know-how, and thanks to a technical team made up of multi-disciplinary experts, SAFRA was chosen for this operation to recondition the damaged Citadis trainset.
The work began in June 2022, when a SAFRA team spent several days on site to uncouple the train so that it could be transported in two parts, since the complete train is 40 meters long. On June 20, the exceptional convoy embarked on a ferry to cross the Irish Sea, then the English Channel, and finally France by land. After a smooth journey of almost 1800 kilometers, the two-part convoy arrived in Albi on June 28 to join the SAFRA workshops for a few months.
From the design office to the production workshops, nearly 20 people were able to work on this equipment. A great deal of work had to be carried out on this trainset:
- Complete repair and expert assessment of the damaged power car
- Repair of chassis components
- Replacement of the polyester front panel and under-cab chassis
- Removal and replacement of floors to check structural integrity
- Geometric and non-destructive testing of damaged structures
- Repair of bogies
- Removal and restoration of roof boxes
- Repair of electrical harnesses severed during derailment.
- Replacement of intercirculation bellows.
- Exterior and interior paint treatment
After 8 months of repair work in SAFRA’s workshops, the Citadis tramway train (fleet 3001 Dublin) was able to return to its home country.
After 6 weeks of intervention in Ireland by SAFRA teams to assist with unloading operations, as well as re-coupling operations and various recommissioning tests in collaboration with the customer TRANSDEV Dublin, the trainset was put back into operation on June 12, 2023.
Joël Alpin, SAFRA’s Director of Business Development and Renovation, comments: “All the SAFRA teams are extremely proud to have been able to work on this exceptional project. This project has enabled us to showcase our skills and know-how in the repair and renovation of railway equipment. We are even prouder that this is also the company’s first international order. Our sincere thanks go to our customer Transdev Dublin, for the trust they have placed in us.“
A historic business that works for the environment
A true expert in the reconditioning of passenger transport equipment, buses, streetcars, metros and rail equipment, SAFRA has been offering a range of services dedicated to public transport operators for over 65 years.
Since 2004, SAFRA has strongly developed its expertise in light and heavy rail equipment. Our teams regularly work on Citadis tramways, carrying out collision repairs, changing diagrams, performing corrosion surveys on structures, and providing assistance to operators throughout France.
In addition to repairing and refurbishing these vehicles, SAFRA has also developed extensive expertise in vehicle reconditioning. This activity is perfectly in line with the company’s strategy of accelerating low-carbon mobility. Vehicle reconditioning enables us to support transport networks in the complete upgrading of their vehicle fleets, notably through technical upgrades, improved passenger comfort and optimized energy and environmental performance. These comprehensive services help to extend the lifespan of the equipment and improve its functionality, so that it is always adapted to its use and to customer needs.
About Safra
Safra, a French company, is a historic player in the renovation of passenger transport equipment and a pioneer in hydrogen mobility. The company is aligning its strategy with environmental, societal and sovereignty issues, with the aim of becoming the leading gas pedal of the energy transition through the sustainable decarbonization of public transport in Europe.
Safra offers solutions that perfectly meet the needs of transport authorities for mobility towards decarbonization of their fleets: construction and marketing of hydrogen-powered buses, retrofitting of diesel coaches with hydrogen, renovation and heavy maintenance of passenger transport vehicles, as well as customer service. For more information: www.safra.fr