There is not only bad news for line B of the Rennes metro. Of course, it still hasn’t restarted. The good side of things is that in the absence of operational trains, it will swap its lamps for brand new LEDs according to information from the Mensuel de Rennes.
At the beginning of April, Rennes Métropole examined the offers from a public market launched for the “renovation of lighting fixtures in eight metro stations on line B”. But why make this change of direction less than two years after the beginning of the metro?
The Metropolis’ response
When questioned, Rennes Métropole recalls that the current lamps were installed in 2018, during work on the line, following contracts awarded in 2016. And that the new ones will not be installed until 2025. The replacement will therefore take place seven years later . “This is a normal life cycle for luminaires that are heavily used in stations (22 hours a day, 7 days a week). » This equipment will therefore not be replaced every year, but “on a case-by-case basis depending on regulatory, security and technical constraints”.
Only a small part of the light sources will be changed: “Approximately 10% of the 9,000 present on line B. The remaining 90% will be gradually renewed in the years to come. »
Don’t be jealous: the lamps of the Henri-Fréville park and ride and line A will also be replaced. The new LEDs should “improve the quality of the atmosphere” but above all allow energy savings. “It should be noted that Rennes Métropole proceeded in the same way on line A by gradually renewing – between 2016 and 2022 – the 3,000 light sources at the stations and park-and-ride stations. LED technology was adopted on this occasion. For an investment of €490,000 excluding tax, this generated an annual saving of 428,000 KWh. »
Soon a return
Meanwhile, repairs to Line B continue. The reassembly of the trains has begun. This step was to be used to fine-tune the procedure. On January 3, damage to a train caused the line to be stopped, probably due to a “pivot nut” located at the level of the “bogie”, the articulated carriage which allows the trains to move forward. Traffic has been suspended until further notice, as a precaution. Rennes Métropole has decided that the parts concerned on the 100 bogies of the 25 metro trains will be returned to “ex-factory configuration”. The bogies were removed and sent to Limoges, to a subcontractor of Siemens Mobility, the designer of the rolling stock.
Once the part concerned has been changed, the bogies are sent back to Rennes to be reassembled on the trains. Rennes Métropole maintains a possible return to service for the spring… At least, if the State considers that the safety conditions are met. An unknown that even brand new LEDs cannot dissipate.
