Connexinfra installs two Corus modular platforms in Toulouse

A new station, Gallieni – Canceropôle, has been added to the Toulouse Auch TER line, which carries 6,000 passengers a day. Connexinfra, in charge of carrying out the project, selected the Corus Rail modular steel platform system.

Corus Rail modular steel platform system

The new station comprises of two platforms, each 115m long. Connexinfra was responsible for all aspects of installing the platforms, including earthworks, electrical engineering, assembly and erection. “The Corus modular structures are manufactured in the factory and then assembled on site. The short installation and commissioning time was a key factor in the success of this project. The ability to assemble the majority of the structure outside the track danger area also contributed to rapid completion and reduced costs”, declared Mr Albouy, Managing Director of Connexinfra.

Pierre Meyer, SNCF Regional Manager, reported in the magazine Objectif News: “We are on time thanks to the modular steel platforms we are installing, unlike conventional masonry platforms which are fixed with respect to the track. This is a first in France!”

The modular platforms meet various needs, such as platform lengthening to provide access for longer trains, platform raising to provide access for handicapped and elderly persons, and very easy platform replacement and adjustment. While the reflex of the engineers is to first think of concrete, the Corus development teams have totally re-invented the principle of the railway platform to create a totally modular product manufactured with rectangular-section steel box beams.

The use of lightweight standard modular elements reduces the impact of the structure on the foundations and avoids long and costly preparatory earthworks. Other advantages: the Corus modular platforms do not require special assembly equipment, traffic is not suspended during assembly, and the structure lifetime is 75 years.

A complete modular platform can be designed and installed in just a few weeks. Corus has developed dedicated software to facilitate this, enabling rapid custom design for any height, width, length or required curve (inverse, convex, concave). It uses libraries of functions and pre-programmed modules, such that the mechanical strength, shape and weight of the system are calculated automatically. Moreover, erection can be carried out with manual labour only, because of the low weight of the standard modular steel components.

The modular platforms can be dismantled easily and moved if necessary. The height can be altered by adjusting the feet. This means that the platform can be optimized for the needs of the operator, or readjusted in the event of track movement, for example following track renewal work.

Thanks to their cantilever design, the majority of the modular platform can be erected in the track safe area (green zone) while the line continues to operate normally, further saving costs for the railway operator.