France’s Le Train, the first private train operator to offer high-speed (HS) service in the country, has signed an agreement with Spanish manufacturer Talgo for a fleet of High Speed trains.
Le Train first issued a call for tenders early last year and, after several months of negotiations, an agreement was signed on January 23.
Talgo will supply the new operator with a fleet of up to ten trains, reports Rail Tech. The deal also covers potential agreement extensions, possible maintenance of the equipment, and the creation of a joint research and development unit working towards making trains even more sustainable.
Construction of the first ten trains is due to begin in the first half of this year, with the first trains reaching completion in 2025.
The trains will have an operating speed of 330km/h, and a maximum speed of 365km/h. They will have a capacity for 500 to 600 passengers.
These will be used to service five High Speed lines in the French Great West, connecting 11 destinations in the regions of New Aquitaine, Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and Centre-Val-de-Loire.
According to Business Traveller, three routes will be operated by the trains: Bordeaux-Nantes in under three hours via Tours rather than Paris, Bordeaux-Rennes in three and a half hours, and Bordeaux-Angoulême in just 34 minutes.
