Grand Paris Express Maintenance Vehicles to be powered by electric motors from Traktionssysteme Austria

TSA supplies electric motors for Europe’s largest rail infrastructure project
The construction of the Grand Paris Express is part of the largest infrastructure and development project in Europe. To carry out this endeavor, the use of maintenance vehicles is essential to service the rail infrastructure, overhead lines, catenary poles, switches, tunnels, and more – even during the construction phase. After the French company Socofer secured the contract for the new maintenance vehicles in the end of 2022, Traktionssysteme Austria received the order for the development and construction of the electric motors and wheelset gears for the vehicles a few months later.

Traktionssysteme Austria, the global leader in developing and producing traction drives for rolling stock and road commercial vehicles, delivered electric motors of the type TMF 64A-36-6 and gearboxes of the type GFT 1-48-446 to France. The base order for lines 15, 16 and 17 includes 17 locomotives from Socofer with a total of 68 TSA drives. In addition, Socofer will supply 4 locomotives for Line 18, with 16 TSA motors type TMW 45A-20-6. Optional vehicles may be ordered by SGP (Société des grands projets) in the future

‘The big challenge with this project was the tight schedule and the thermal design of the components, as the maintenance locomotives will operate at both high and extremely low speeds,’ said Johannes Mensdorff-Pouilly, Head of Sales – RAIL.ROAD.SERVICE at TSA.

During operation, the average vehicle speed is 0.7 km/h. On the other hand, speeds of up to 70 km/h are possible during transfer trips. At high speeds, the locomotives are powered by catenaries with a 15kV voltage on lines 15, 16 and 17 , and on the third rail on line 18. During operation and also when traveling from the depot to the work site, they operate with lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, the locomotives are dual-mode vehicles. The first test motors were delivered by TSA in February 2025, followed by the first 4 series drives in autumn.

TSA electric motors around the world
The electric motors of Traktionssysteme Austria, headquartered in Wiener Neudorf, are in operation in nearly 70 countries worldwide, in cities such as Paris, Milan, and Berlin. With over 60 years of experience in designing and manufacturing traction systems for rolling stock and road commercial vehicles and around 90,000 motors delivered, TSA has established itself as the world leader.

From trams to high-speed trains and metros to electric buses – from Brussels to Manila, from the Arctic Circle to the Equator – Traktionssysteme Austria enables mobility around the world. Whether tackling steep urban inclines or navigating rugged rural roads, TSA traction motors move millions of people and tons of goods daily from A to B.

‘We are proud that our electric motors are used in so many vehicles worldwide. Although many may not realize it, we are the driving force moving millions of people and goods every day,’ said Robert Tencl, CEO of Traktionssysteme Austria. ‘To further expand this pioneering position, we are continuously investing in our location in Lower Austria and the development of our products. One of our goals is strengthening Lower Austria as an industrial location and creating additional jobs. Therefore, investments totaling € 35 million for projects and process optimizations, as well as the expansion of the site towards ‘TSA-City’, are planned by 2030.’

Grand Paris Express – The largest public transport project in Europe
The Grand Paris Express project, also referred to as the ‘Project of the Century’ in the media, is the largest project of its kind in Europe. A fully automated metro system, the ‘supermétro automatique régional’, is being constructed. Already the Paris metro network ranks as the fourth largest in Europe. With the construction of 200 km of additional tracks and sections with 68 new stations, the transportation network will nearly double and even surpass the London Underground. The new rail lines will circumnavigate Paris and connect outer districts to the public transport network, particularly emphasizing the outskirts. Four new lines are under construction and an already existing line (no. 14) has also been extended and is now fully operating.

Line 15 will run completely underground and encircle Paris as a ring line outside the city limits. Between April 2027 and 2031, the route will be gradually put into operation, ultimately reaching a total length of 75 km, making it the longest subway line in France. Line 16 will connect the north and east of Paris. Sections of this route will be shared with other subway lines. The same applies to the newly built line 17, where sections of other lines will also be used. Finally, line 18, which opening is planned for end of 2026, will go across West of Paris.

SGP, the contracting authority for the megaproject with an estimated contract volume of more than € 35 billion, aims to create 15,000 jobs per year through this project. The social and economic benefits, taking into account all urban development projects and accompanying measures, are estimated to reach nearly € 80 billion.