Innovation partnership to develop next-generation TGV

SNCF and Alstom have joined forces through an innovation partnership which will help create the next-generation TGV.

SNCF and Alstom have launched an innovation partnership to develop the next generation of the TGV, combining expertise in order to create a unique, high-quality travelling experience while meeting economic and environmental challenges of high-speed travel.

Reducing operating cost and enhancing appeal

At a ceremony in Paris marking the occasion, Rachel Picard, CEO of Voyages SNCF, and Jean-Baptiste Eymeoud, President of Alstom France inaugurated the shared workspace which will see both parties share expertise to define a new technological, commercial and industrial strategy for high speed. The partnership agreement aims to reduce investment and operating costs and enhance the train’s appeal on the mobility market, providing a new experience for passengers in terms of comfort and on-board services.

New TGV experience for passengers by mid-2022

The ambitions for the new-generation TGV:

• Reduce acquisition and operating costs by at least 20%,
• Optimise the environmental footprint, with a material recyclability rate of over 90% and a reduction in energy consumption of at least 25%,
• Develop the commercial offer to improve passenger experience: a 20% increase in capacity enabling more on-board services and/or more passengers. The trains will also offer greater modularity in terms of interior layout and carriage composition, offering enhanced quality in terms of customer service, comfort and connectivity.

Collaborative working to develop the new vehicle will be carried out in three phases:

• Joint definition and specification of the new TGV, until the end of 2017.
• Detailed design, industrialisation and approval, for duration of approximately 4 years.
• Production, train delivery, and entry into commercial service scheduled for mid-2022.

In total, a team of 20 experts will be dedicated to the development which will be located at a stand-alone site on Avenue du Maine in Paris.

In addition, the SNCF-Alstom team will be open to outside knowledge from the industry, regularly inviting experts and guests to contribute their knowledge on innovative working methods and advanced technical solutions. The partnership will liaise with engineering and design schools, other industrial companies and start-ups.