New SNCF campus in Le Mans

A new SNCF campus has opened in Le Mans to adapt to new railway equipment and technologies. The SNCF Voyageurs University Campus was inaugurated on September 30 by Jean Castex and Stéphane Le Foll, mayor of Le Mans and president of Le Mans Métropole.

Replacement of old campus

The new campus replaces the previous one, which had been located since 2010 on the Technoparc des 24h, near the race track. It has been operational since May 2026, following a ground-breaking ceremony held on June 7, 2024, by the former president of SNCF.

Training evolution at UDM

The new campus symbolizes the evolution of training at the University of Equipment (UDM), which must transform its training offering. Previously operating by activities (TER, TGV – Intercités, Transilien), it now deals with a multitude of dedicated companies (SD).

Future growth and training needs

In the long term, there will be more than fifty of these dedicated companies. The University of Equipment will need to support them from the tender stage to build an appropriate training program. For the SNCF Voyageurs Sud Azur company, which has won the operation of the Nice star, the skills of maintenance staff are not homogeneous.

Adapting to new technologies

Although about 75 percent of them come from SNCF, it is necessary to adapt their training to rolling stock they are not familiar with. New recruits must be completely trained. The training catalog has evolved to adapt to new equipment, such as the RER NG, as well as new technologies (optical fiber, hydrogen train, etc.).

New pedagogical tools

Training is now more designed by type of equipment than by profession. The university is also using new pedagogical tools such as virtual reality, augmented reality, serious games, and e-learning. Gradually, it will offer technical training (stripping, crimping, wiring, welding) to external companies, also through its subsidiary Masteris.

Investment and campus layout

SNCF Voyageurs has invested 33.8 million euros in this project, of which 10 percent were provided by Le Mans Métropole. Installed on a 2-hectare site, the new campus includes three buildings: a training building (34 classrooms and 11 technical rooms for mechanics and electricity), an industrial workshop of 1,103 square meters (with a welding school and a maintenance workshop), and a housing and catering building.

Capacity and facilities

The housing and catering building offers 75 rooms of 14 square meters (including three adapted for people with reduced mobility) and a catering space of 300 square meters. It is designed to accommodate up to 9,000 trainees per year.