Railway Gazette, 3/23/18:
French government to order 100 ‘TGVs of the future’
The 'TGV of the Future' design is expected to feature short-wheelbase power cars and double-deck trailer cars.
FRANCE: Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said that the government is to place a firm order with Alstom ‘by the end of June’ for 100 TGV trainsets. He was addressing a press conference on March 22 to update progress on the merger of Siemens Mobility and Alstom.
These would be the first build of a next generation of high speed trainset being developed under the ‘TGV of the future’ programme launched by Alstom and SNCF in September 2016. Due to enter service in 2022-23, the design is intended to reduce acquisition and operating costs by at least 20%, with the ‘material recyclability rate’ increased to over 90% and energy consumption reduced by at least 25%.