It's the SNCF's "will-o'-the-wisp". The TGV M, which is due to run on the Paris-Marseille route as well as Paris-Milan in order to compete with Trenitalia, doesn't seem likely to appear on the horizon anytime soon. As a reminder, this "TGV of the future", built by Alstom, was supposed to be launched at the end of 2023, then for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Since then, there have only been successive delays, with the SNCF keeping people waiting by announcing initial tests, then revealing its livery or interior fittings. The current scheduled date of 1er July no longer seems likely to be held, as these Avelia Horizon trainsets have still not obtained their approval despite three years of trials on the national rail network.
" We are awaiting market authorisation, an essential prerequisite that will allow us to determine the precise go-live schedule. Pending this decision, we are not confirming a timeline. ", the SNCF told us laconically. Internally, August or even September is now being put forward as the start date for commercial operation. Missing out on another summer would represent a significant loss of earnings for the railway company, which is already struggling to meet demand during peak season.
Faced with this lack of capacity and wary of successive delays, SNCF announced in February that it intended to keep 104 of its TGV train sets, extending their lifespan by 2 to 15 years. At a cost of €600 million, this heavy maintenance programme This will allow for the preservation of some 17,700 places in 2027 and 22,100 in 2028, the equivalent of 52 TGV trainsets. Other measures have been adopted in parallel, such as the addition of 50 places in TGVs that are to undergo mid-life renovation and the rapid development of its low-cost brand Ouigo.
A TGV M that's too revolutionary?
A project co-developed by Alstom and SNCF since 2016, this fifth generation of TGV is presented as " revolutionary » by both partners. Perhaps too much so, given that the manufacturer is facing premature wear and tear on certain parts and is unable to obtain certification for this train, which incorporates a total of 400 industrial and technological innovations. These nine-carriage trains will be able to carry 720 passengers – 20% more – whilst consuming 20% less energy.
The stakes are high for the SNCF, which has already invested more than €4 billion in ordering the first 115 train sets, 4 of which were due to run in July, 8 in September and 13 by the end of 2026. The company is bearing the brunt for other operators, its subsidiary Eurostar also having ordered 20 train sets of a TGV derived from the Avelia Horizon to run on its European lines. And its Future competitor Velvet is waiting for 12 TGVs to operate services from Paris to Rennes, Nantes and Bordeaux from 2028.
