News

ETF teams are currently working between Bernay (27) and Caen (14) to replace 53.73 kilometres of track on the Paris–Caen–Cherbourg line. On 1 July, this industrialised rail renewal (RRI) project welcomed Matthieu Chabanel, Chief Executive of SNCF Réseau, accompanied by local elected representatives and regional officials.

For several years now, VINCI Construction has been a partner of the Cancer@Work charity, which works alongside businesses to promote the inclusion of people living with long-term illnesses. This initiative aims to support their return to work and encourage them to remain in a suitable and supportive working environment.

The AFSB project (Railway Development South of Bordeaux) is continuing to make progress as part of the future New South-West Line (LNSO). Over the Ascension weekend, a new milestone was reached thanks to the efforts of the ETF / INEO SCLE Ferroviaire consortium, which carried out the project’s fourth major phase of works between Cadaujac and Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans.

ETF is continuing its sponsorship of the Forézien wheelchair basketball club for the next two seasons. Through this partnership, ETF reaffirms its commitment to inclusion and highlights inspiring stories, such as that of Pierre, a member of the catenary design team and a keen athlete competing at national level.

In Rive-de-Gier (Loire), the Couzon Tunnel – recognised as France’s oldest railway tunnel – underwent modernisation during two weekends of intensive works, in order to minimise the impact on rail services. This complex project drew on the expertise of La Champenoise de Voies Ferrées (ETF) and LMTP (Sogea Environnement), subsidiaries of VINCI Construction.

ETF stood out as one of the top performers in the safety category of the VINCI Construction Prevention Challenge, with both of its overhead line branches winning awards. This recognition was in honour of particularly strong results over the last three years, with an injury frequency rate (IFR1) among the best in the group. Above all, it highlights a collective commitment to a shared goal: making prevention a daily priority.

On 26 May 2026, VINCI Construction’s France Network welcomed a large number of students to an after-work event held at Leonard, the group’s centre for innovation and forward thinking, located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Designed as a key opportunity for discovery, the event attracted 250 young people keen to learn more about careers in civil engineering within the rail sector.

As it does every year, ETF threw its full weight behind the Safety Days organised by VINCI Construction worldwide. This unifying event brought together thousands of employees around a shared ambition: to collectively advance the safety culture on all construction sites.

As part of the Val’Tram project, led by the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Area with INGEROP acting as project manager, ETF’s teams carried out major overhead line works for the extension of the tram line from Aubagne to La Bouilladisse.

ETF teams working on the Rapid Industrialised Track Renewal (RRI) programme are starting their third project of the year on the Abbeville–Rang-du-Fliers line. This third project, covering 29.1 kilometres, is divided into two phases: an initial 13-kilometre phase in April and May 2026, and a second phase in November and December 2026.

On 26 March, ETF was delighted to welcome 18 secondary school pupils from Collège Montesquieu in Beauchamp. Located directly opposite their school, the ETF site was transformed for the day into a real-life discovery centre for careers in the rail industry, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of our ‘Elles Bougent’ mentors.

To mark Safety Days 2026, the ETF is taking action to highlight a major rail safety issue: the risk of collisions between machinery and pedestrians on construction sites. In a confined environment, often at night and whilst the line is partially in operation, the coexistence of staff and machinery represents one of the most critical hazards in railway works.