Toulouse: the most powerful crane in France came into action at Matabiau station
As part of the NéÔmatabiau project, this huge accessibility and modernization project for the Matabiau station in Toulouse, the SNCF used a very powerful crane this Saturday.
The Matabiau station in Toulouse hosted a spectacular development operation this weekend. An operation on an unprecedented scale which required the blocking of tracks 1 and 2, the most used in the station.
Nicknamed “punch”, it will end this Sunday evening after 64 hours of non-stop intervention and the mobilization of 75 SNCF agents alternately.
The highlight of this mobilization: the entry into action this Saturday of Kirow, the most powerful mobile railway crane in France, and one of the most efficient in the world. It enabled the railway agents to lift the load-bearing structures (the “decks”), and to position new ones as well as metal beams of 60 tons above the north underground and under the large passenger hall of the station.
An underground twice as large
This crucial step widens the northern underpass and improves accessibility to the platforms. “The size of the underground will be doubled and we are going to install three elevators and three escalators to serve the platforms,” says Dominique Lecluse, director of the national projects program. They will be intended for everyone, not just people with disabilities. The idea is to make the flow of travelers more fluid. »
Another stated objective: to adapt the station to the future increase in traffic expected with the commissioning of the 3rd metro line and the high-speed line. “Toulouse station welcomes 50,000 passengers every day. By 2032, the number of travelers will be tripled. These developments improve flows and the customer journey,” notes Vincent Bouvier, project manager on behalf of SNCF Gares & Connexions.
Started in March 2021, the work should be completed in the summer of 2023.