This Sheffield manufacturer will be playing a key role on a new Paris tram depot

Mechan is joining forces with its French parent company CIM to equip a new tram depot on the outskirts of Paris.

The Sheffield-based manufacturer has produced a set of 18 lightweight lifting jacks and a bogie turntable for the facility.

Mechan’s equipment will be used to service a fleet of 22 futuristic trams that will run on the new Tram9 line, a 10km stretch of track connecting Paris’s south eastern suburbs to the existing tramway network.

The equipment will be based in the Orly depot, which is being constructed for project owner Île de France Mobilité and will be operated by Keolis.

The six-tonne jacks have been designed specifically to meet Keolis’ requirements and are from Mechan’s lightweight range, launched in 2018.

They have a different base arrangement and built in assembly for ease of movement.

The eight-tonne bogie turntable is also a bespoke design. It will be located strategically between two tracks and used to transfer bogies to a high-pressure cleaning room.

Lindsey Mills, sales manager at Mechan, said: “This is our second joint project with CIM and it is a pleasure to be involved in equipping such a high-tech tramway depot.

“Our lightweight jacks are gaining popularity rapidly, as users appreciate the flexibility they offer, reinforced by our usual commitment to safety and reliability.

“The T9 order will showcase our high-quality, bespoke products to a new audience in France and we look forward to seeing them in action.”

Mechan joined the CIM Group, an international supplier of integrated rail solutions, in 2017.

The firm’s range of heavy lifting and handling equipment was added to CIM’s portfolio, which includes the design and realisation of railway infrastructure supply and construction projects.

CIM operates in more than 120 countries worldwide, across all continents, working for many of the main rail operators.

Mechan has been manufacturing in Sheffield since 1969. The business has worked with the likes of Hitachi, Bombardier and Network Rail.

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