Alstom and SNCF unveil first fourth-generation TGV-M Power Car in Belfort, France

Belfort, France (Urban Transport News): French multinational firm Alstom and Voyages SNCF on May 26, 2021, unveiled the first fourth-generation TGV-M Power Train in Alstom's Belfort workshops. Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom France; Christophe Fanichet, Chairman and CEO, SNCF Voyageurs and Alain Krakovitch, Managing Director, Voyages SNCF joined the unveiling program.

A new face for a new train

This eco-designed TGV, the first trainsets of which are scheduled to enter service in 2024, has benefited from the know-how of the best experts from Voyages SNCF and Alstom, brought together on a common platform during the definition and co-specification phases of the project. This new way of designing a more innovative and efficient train is a first in Europe.

Thanks to a more compact, simplified, and streamlined architecture, the TGV M boasts reduced acquisition and maintenance costs whilst gaining 20 percent in capacity.

The return of energy to the catenary during braking, eco-driving and the increasingly aerodynamic shape of the nose allows overall energy savings of around 20 percent.

4th generation TGV features

These new vehicles, which will also contribute to our OUIGO offer, introduce a number of major advancements:

• unprecedented modularity, making it possible to adjust the number of carriages according to precise market needs (7, 8, or 9), to transform 1st class seating areas into 2nd class areas and reconfigure them by adding or removing seats or bicycle and baggage storage areas, etc.
• on-board floor space increased by 20%, amounting to 740 seats compared to 600 in current duplex carriages.
• ultra-competitive energy efficiency and carbon footprint per journey: with a 97% carbon recyclability objective, the TGV M's carbon footprint is the lowest on the market. 
• access to online scalable services to meet passenger needs, such as on-board WiFi and complete real-time information across train areas.
• real-time provision of information on train parts, allowing preventive maintenance.
• 100% accessibility across carriage areas for all passengers. From the start, TGV M was the first TGV to be designed in close collaboration with wheelchair user (WU) associations and will be the first TGV to provide fully autonomous train accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

Design competition results for the two trial trains

Launched late September to create the lamination or coating of two trial trains, the event was also an opportunity for SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom to unveil the internal competition winners amongst 210,000 SNCF employees and Alstom France's 12,500 employees.

The two winners will be invited to participate in trials to be held in the Czech Republic and in France in 2022.