Blocalps, a specialist in industrial and modular containerization, recently supported NOVIUM, a French manufacturer of mobile equipment operating in the railway, defense, and special construction sectors. For the railway sector, NOVIUM designs equipment dedicated to track works and railway maintenance.
Faced with the complexity of the requirements of the European standard EN 45545-2, which defines fire behavior criteria for materials used in railway vehicles, NOVIUM’s teams took on a real technical challenge to ensure compliance and the safety of passengers and personnel. It was in this context that they turned to Blocalps to co-design a technical “workshop” enclosure, based on our unique know-how in custom modular container solutions.
This collaboration led to the creation of a first rail-mounted workshop wagon, a pilot unit in a series of eight modules intended to form a maintenance train of nearly fifty elements.
Each unit was designed as a functional and secure mobile workshop, incorporating:
Custom-cut and bent steel panels
Doors with viewing windows and panic bars
A reinforced roof adapted to railway constraints
A non-slip chequered steel floor
Fully fitted interior layout (shelving, technical cabinets)
A functional and secure opening with a metal shutter
An external platform protected by a canopy
A RAL paint finish tailored to the client’s requirements
Everything was designed to comply with the EN 45545-2 standard, notably through the maximum reduction of plastics and the choice of a modular design, the hallmark of Blocalps manufacturing. This approach ensures increased mechanical strength, improved durability, and easier maintenance.
The key asset of this project was undoubtedly our know-how inspired by above-ground containerized fuel stations, as well as the co-design work carried out by the two Blocalps and Novium engineering teams, and the support of a single point of contact to manage manufacturing and integration.
With this project, Blocalps further expands the range of applications for its custom containerization solutions to increasingly specialized uses, such as the railway sector.
Coming soon: new railway modules dedicated to track maintenance for SNCF !
