A new state-of-the-art maintenance facility: the Bischheim depot’s transformation
Our maintenance depot in Bischheim, Alsace, has undergone a complete transformation, reflecting SNCF Voyageurs’ dual ambition to outfit facilities with cutting-edge Industry 4.0 tools and thus sharpen our competitive edge to better meet evolving customer expectations.
Industry 4.0. and the Factory of the Future
The sweeping transformation of our industrial maintenance depot in Bischheim had two core objectives: position SNCF Voyageurs as a benchmark player in mobility and support environmental sustainability. The results were unveiled on 13 June 2025. This initiative is part of Factories of the Future, a strategic plan by SNCF Voyageurs’ equipment division to convert all 10 depots into state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 sites—more versatile, flexible and agile, to meet the needs of a fast-changing market.
Deep dive into Bischheim’s transformation
#1
employer in Bischheim
€50 million
invested in the site by SNCF Voyageurs
10,900
square meters of new workshop space for rolling stock and lifting equipment
Performance-driven transformation
The makeover of this 140-year-old site began in 2018 and reflects SNCF Voyageurs’ dual ambition:
- Modernize facilities to improve cost-efficiency, optimize use of space, and shorten processing times for faster execution and delivery
- Adapt operations to evolving client needs, particularly for TER regional trains, with an orderbook filled through 2030, on a site that previously focused to high-speed rail.
State-of-the-art equipment
Bischheim has diversified its capabilities by streamlining processes and adding new facilities. The site can now accommodate trainsets up to 27.5 meters long, and handle a range of propulsion systems:
- Electric
- Thermal (diesel)
- Dual-mode
8 repairable part families processed on site
The depot handles repairable parts (RP) recovered during maintenance. Revision and repairs are conducted in-house for eight RP families, including axles, bogies and accessories, motor units, and interior and exterior doors.
2 strategic programmes in action
The TANGO and OPTER programmes mark a major turning point for activity at the depot.
Under TANGO, 25 OUIGO high-speed trains will be refurbished at the depot by 2029, featuring updated interiors and innovations like athermic windows. OPTER is dedicated to mid-life upgrades for TER regional trains, and by 2030 Bischeim will have modernized 106 trainsets (65 AGC models and 41 TER 2N NGs) serving the Grand Est region. Renovations are carried out in the site’s purpose-built 900-sq-m lifting workshop.
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