In January 2026, SNCF Voyageurs confirmed an additional order for 15 next-generation TGV M high-speed trains from Alstom, underlining its ambitions to expand further across the European high-speed rail market.
The decision, approved by the SNCF Voyageurs Board of Directors, activates a new optional tranche of the framework ‘Innovation Partnership’ contract signed with the French manufacturer and represents an investment of around €600 million.
With this latest order, total firm commitments for the Avelia Horizon platform, marketed in France as TGV M, now reach 160 trainsets. Of these, 115 have been ordered by SNCF Voyageurs and 30 by Eurostar, with a further 20 options still available to the Anglo-French operator. The 15 newly ordered trains are specifically intended for international services and will primarily operate on high-speed links between major cities in France and Brussels in Belgium.
According to SNCF Voyageurs, the trains will be built in quad-voltage configuration, enabling them to operate seamlessly across several European rail networks.
International expansion
Their entry into service is planned to be progressive from 2029 onwards. International expansion is a core strategic pillar for the operator, which already has a presence abroad through Ouigo España and via Eurostar services to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.
SNCF has also made clear its ambition to significantly grow its footprint in Italy, again relying on the TGV M platform. Overall, the group aims to double its European passenger numbers within the next decade.
éThese 15 additional trainsets, financed from our own funds, mark a new step in our development strategy on the high-speed market in France and Europe“, said Alain Krakovitch, Director of TGV-Intercités at SNCF Voyageurs. “As the European leader in high-speed rail, we are choosing to invest in order to continue our growth and attract ever more travellers.”
The TGV M, also known internationally as Avelia Horizon, is a double-deck high-speed train made up of two compact power cars and articulated passenger coaches. Alstom highlights significant performance gains compared with the current French high-speed fleet, including maintenance costs more than 30% lower, thanks to design-for-maintainability principles and remote diagnostics enabling predictive maintenance.
Energy consumption is expected to be around 20% lower, driven by improved aerodynamics and more efficient traction systems. Passenger-facing innovations include modular interiors, enhanced connectivity, improved seating comfort and better accessibility.
Industrial spread
Industrial production of the trains will involve ten of Alstom’s fourteen French sites, notably Belfort for power cars, La Rochelle for passenger coaches, Le Creusot for bogies, Ornans for motors, Tarbes for traction equipment, Villeurbanne for onboard systems and Valenciennes for interior fittings.
Delays
However, the latest order comes against the backdrop of continued delays to the initial TGV M rollout. The first four units are now expected to enter commercial service in France in early July 2026, several years later than originally planned, when introduction had been scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024.
Even then, only a handful of trains are expected to be available for the peak summer period.
SNCF Voyageurs chief executive Christophe Fanichet has attributed the delays to a combination of industrial bottlenecks and longer-than-anticipated regulatory approval processes, noting that Alstom “has not produced enough trainsets” and that certification steps are taking several months longer than expected.
Despite this, SNCF continues to face a shortage of high-speed capacity and sees the TGV M as central to unlocking additional seats and improving overall network performance once production and certification stabilise.
For its part, Alstom is racing to keep pace with demand. In 2025, the manufacturer announced €150 million of investment to boost production capacity for very high-speed trains. At that time, it was producing roughly one TGV M per month.
The aim is to raise output to around 2.5 trainsets per month by 2027, a ramp-up that will be critical to delivering the growing order book on time.
Despite the delays, neither SNCF nor Alstom appears to be easing off. The additional Brussels-focused order underlines the operator’s confidence in the platform and its determination to strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive European high-speed rail market.
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