SNCF puts its new double-deck TGV M into service between Paris and Marseille, two and a half years late

A delayed launch on the Paris-Marseille line

The French state rail operator SNCF put a new generation of the TGV into commercial service on Friday, 6 November, with the first run leaving Paris for Marseille that morning. The train was delayed by two and a half years because of production difficulties at its manufacturer, Alstom. According to 20 Minutes, the departure from Paris at 9:56 was on time. The SNCF will first deploy the train on the Paris-Marseille route with six units, the first of an order of 160. The new trains are meant to meet rising demand and to replace older units, some of which date from the 1990s.

Total order160

French market100

Total order

160 trains

French market

100 trains

Data from the article text

Design and capacity

The double-deck train has a pointed nose and improved aerodynamics, which the SNCF says will cut energy use by 20 percent while carrying up to 20 percent more passengers than the model it replaces. Stern reports that up to 700 people can fit into one train. The number of cars can be changed in less than a day, moving between eight and nine cars, and the split between first and second class can be adjusted by destination or season. Storage areas for luggage and bicycles can also be reconfigured by season. The operator promises more legroom, more comfortable seats, a two-level bar and Wi-Fi, although the Wi-Fi depends on mobile network coverage. The train runs at 320 km/h, and 20 Minutes describes it as the only double-deck train in the world operating at that speed.

Development and testing

The SNCF says the train is the product of ten years of research and cooperation between SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom. Its first circuit tests took place in the Czech Republic in December 2022. France granted final approval in May 2026, and the European Railways Agency (ERA) approved the safety aspects. In summer 2026 the SNCF began test runs without commercial passengers, and 1,600 "mystery customers", including staff from the SNCF or Alstom, rated the experience. According to Le Monde, the original target had been to have the train running for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Emissions and maintenance claims

Compared with the first TGV, launched in 1981, the new train emits 50 percent less CO2 per passenger, according to 20 Minutes. It uses 25 percent recycled materials and has a recyclability rate of 97 percent. Its 25,000 data points analysed in real time are meant to enable predictive maintenance, which the SNCF expects to shorten workshop downtime and reduce maintenance costs by 30 percent. The new trains will gradually replace the existing fleet over about ten years. Of the 160 trains ordered, 100 are for the French market.

Launch day

Jean Castex, head of the SNCF, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot and Martin Sion, Alstom's new chief executive, attended the launch ceremony on platform 5 at the Gare de Lyon, according to BFM Business. Castex struck a celebratory tone and acknowledged the delays with a joke.

“Only stars make people wait. We are crossing a major step with this brand-new TGV, and history is on the move.”

Tabarot had to leave early because of a serious school bus accident, BFM reported. Before leaving, he described the day in personal terms.

“This is a great day for me, a great French success, a real source of pride, an extraordinary example.”