The railway company has set itself the objective of doubling the share of rail in passenger transport in France by the 2030s.
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Soon new trains on the rails in France. The railway manufacturer Alstom announced on Thursday August 18 that it had received an order for 15 additional new generation TGVs from the SNCF, for a total amount of nearly 590 million euros. This contract completes an order for 100 trains placed in 2018 – for 2.7 billion euros – as part of a “innovation partnership” concluded in 2016 between SNCF and Alstom to design the “TGV of the future”, or the “TGV M” as it is called by the railway company.
“This solution meets the technological, economic and competitive challenges of SNCF, in an environment of strong passenger demand for low-carbon mobility solutions”, commented Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, president of Alstom France, quoted in a press release from the manufacturer. Questioned by AFP, the SNCF confirmed the order, justifying it by “customer demand which is higher than initial forecasts”.
The SNCF wants to double the share of rail in passenger transport in France, which is around 10% today, in the 2030s. The deployment of the “TGV M” will be spread over ten years from 2024, according to SNCF Voyageurs. This fourth generation of TGV in forty years – the first was put into service in France in 1981 – should allow the transport of 20% more passengers than current trains.
In maximum configuration, the “TGV M” will be able to accommodate 740 people per train, with the possibility of adding or removing cars, and also of transforming spaces, for example from first to second class. This new train must also consume 20% less energy than its predecessors thanks to more efficient aerodynamics and motorization.