GCF is awarded the renovation of the Bourges-Montluçon line

20 million contract award for GCF in France.

Prestigious achievement by GCF, which, in France, in association with rail specialist MAÏA Rail, won on its own (outside the Transalp Renouvellement group), its first tender as incumbent "mandataire de marché" so to speak, capitalizing on the reputation earned over years of commitment to "fast" rail renovation thanks to the "Suite Rapide" lots awarded with the Transalp Renouvellement Group, of which it is the leader.

The subject of the contract, worth about 20 million Euros, is the "regeneration" of rail line 695 000 Bourges - Montluçon, about 100 kilometres of line that, essentially following the course of the Cher River, connects the regions of Centre-Valley of the Loire and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes..

"This is a very prestigious milestone for GCF," says Sabino Carbone from the management of GCF France, "in that it rewards the efforts made in France over the years and the perseverance and quality of the results achieved in the many Suite Rapide's construction sites that have followed one another since 2013”.

The start of the works is imminent, scheduled for July 10, with the Matisa P95 yard train now ready to begin track construction that will last for about eight weeks. Working with the train and the high-efficiency machinery engaged on the section are Italian and French personnel already trained and specialized at the Suite Rapide's construction sites. A second, similar team of workers, on the other hand, will be in charge of the convoy led by the Matisa C75 resurfacing machine, which, starting on August 20 and for about four weeks, will work on the ballast rehabilitation.

Many and different kinds of work will be carried out on the line: total renewal (ballast and track) for about 15 kilometres; replacement of sleepers and renewal of rails for a 15,443-meter section; rehabilitation of gravel only for some minor sections; and renewal with new rails for about 37 kilometres.

Lastly, in addition to the construction of ad hoc depots for new crushed stone and spoil, the construction of the "long welded rail"-a seamless track in which expansion/contraction due to temperature excursion occurs only at its ends-both on existing rails (about 1 kilometre) and in sections of new rail (5,979 mt), is planned.

Many means are at the disposal of the new construction site, in addition to the two "flagship" convoys led by the P95 Renewal Train and the C75 rehabilitation machine: several VaiaCar road-rail loaders, the new AcX loader, a B45 tamping machine, a R21 profiling machine, several measuring instruments including the T-Metix, a trolley for static measurement of track positioning with respect to fixed reference points or infrastructure elements.

Work is scheduled to be completed in the fall.