French manufacturer Alstom and the French public passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs have taken an important step in the approval process of the new Avelia Horizon high-speed train.
After completing the track tests required for certification, the manufacturer has submitted all the necessary documentation to the European Union Railway Agency (ERA). After this step, the body in charge of approvals will process the so-called Authorisation for Putting into Service.
Alstom expects the process to be completed in the coming months. Delivery of the first trains will then begin, with the aim of bringing them into service on 1 July. They will run on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille line linking the country’s two largest cities.
The Avelia Horizon, called TGV M by SNCF, is the latest generation of French-designed high-speed trains. Among other innovations, it incorporates compact powerheads that increase the space available for passengers. In its largest capacity version, it can carry up to 740 passengers.
According to the first agreement between the operator and the manufacturer for the development of the TGV M, the first units should have entered service in 2022. However, delays in development, manufacturing and homologation are causing it to be four years later.