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Programmed Obsolescence: a whole program

Deprogrammed obsolescence means designing products to last as long as possible, and to be easy to repair and maintain. In short, it's the opposite of "oh no, already broken...".

Updated on 9 July 2024

7-minute read

Programmed to last

At SNCF Voyageurs, making our trains last longer is nothing new: we've always done it for reasons of industrial common sense. Bought for 40 years, our trains undergo a complete mid-life refurbishment to get back on track, as good as new.

But in the face of increasingly pressing environmental issues, we have stepped up the pace and deployed various programs to further improve the on-board ecology of our trains.

Renovating our trains without changing them

by drawing on the best technological advances, such as those deployed for our TGV M, another of our eco-designed prides.

Target: up to +10 years

Our O2D program (for Opération d'Obsolescence Déprogrammée) aims to extend the lifespan of our trains by +2 to 10 years, i.e. up to 50 years on average, while optimizing their comfort, energy consumption, the impact of the materials used, maintenance... A real rejuvenation, eco-friendly version.

The challenge: juggling several issues

Sustainable design: more respectful of the planet AND more resistant to wear)
a better repairability, with, for example, modular parts that are easy to find and replace
the circular economy or how to repair, recycle, or recover our parts for use elsewhere
continuous software updates for IT devices, guaranteeing the longevity of the device
the use of cutting-edge technologies to improve maintenance and diagnostic processes
safety above all, even if it means abandoning experiments with unsatisfactory conclusions (for example, our latest tests of 60% recycled glass pane were inconclusive in terms of resistance)

Hence the headache sometimes.

O2D takes 2 million hours to identify the thousands of parts in 104 trainsets

Bref. As you'll have gathered by now, SNCF Voyageurs is deploying a treasure trove of innovation to make our trains last longer. And when we say treasure, it can, for example, weigh 2.3 billion euros over 10 years for OPTER, our massive mid-life renovation program for our TERs, a project run in partnership with 12 regions.

More details? Here they are

In abundance, like our innovations:

OPTER (vast TER renovation program): 40% of the TER fleet concerned / In partnership with 12 regions / Objective : up to +20 years lifespan / 2.3 billion euros over 10 years
O2D : up to +10 years lifespan for TGVs / 2 million hours to identify the parts to be repaired on the 104 trainsets (out of 363) eligible / Putting into service as early as 2026.
TGV INTERCITÉS: 130 old night carriages dating from the 70's renovated for 12 years / 200 people & 4000 h. of work / 5 (out of 10) Industrial technicenters dedicated to the repair of spare parts / 500,000 TGV parts repaired / year (representing a ½ billion euro saving per year) / From 2025, 19 written-off trainsets will serve as a store = more than 3,000 parts (armrests, seats, electronic or mechanical parts...) to renovate other trainsets.