Coming soon! France’s latest high-speed train from Paris to the Riviera!

 

Faster, more spacious trains are coming to the French TGV network.

Known worldwide for having one of the best high-speed rail systems in France. Many of those living in France and visitors alike will no doubt be familiar with the expansive network of TGVs already in service offering a relaxing and quick way to get from one end of the country to the other at their leisure.

But now, France’s current TGVs are about to get a stronger edition, with the new ‘TGV-M’ trains set to launch in 2024. Which, according to the French national rail operator SNCF, these particular trains will be substantially greener in energy use, faster, and more spacious. 

TGV-Ms will be able to reach a top speed of 220 miles per hour – which is about ten percent faster than current models, and even faster than Japan’s current generation of bullet trains. For us passengers, this means much shorter journey times. For instance, trips from Paris to Saint Raphaël on the Cote d’Azur would currently take about five hours. These new trains will cut that down to four-and-a-half.

And TGV-Ms isn’t just faster than current TGVs: they’re also more energy efficient, promising a 32 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. And there is 20 percent more onboard space, with capacity increasing from 634 passengers to 740.

The new trains will also be more luxurious. Manufacturer Alstom states they will have superfast onboard Wi-Fi and real-time journey updates, as well as bigger windows – all the better to take in the varying countryside landscapes of France.

Apparently, SNCF has ordered 115 of these new, sleek trains, with 100 designated for domestic use and 15 for international routes to neighboring Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The new trains have cost SNCF €2.7 billion ($2.7 billion).

With these new trains set to launch in 2024, this should make your travel experience in France that much more convenient, faster, and certainly memorable.