France: The manufacturer has posted a video showcasing the vinyl wrapping of the head car at its Belfort plant. The intermediary cars are produced at another French facility, in La Rochelle.
The order comes from the private operator Proxima, which wishes to operate high-speed trains. The €850 mln contract on supply of 12 Avelia Horizon trains with a design speed of 350 km/h, the fifth TGV generation, was signed last autumn. It also includes a 15-year maintenance of the rolling stock. The first trainset is scheduled for testing next year.
Branding of the Avelia Horizon from Alstom. Source: Alstom
Founded in 2024, French Proxima received €1 bln from Antin Infrastructure Partners for the initial activities such as purchase of rolling stock, renting a depot, working capital. Proxima plans to provide service on three routes, connecting Paris and the cities of Bordeaux, Rennes and Nantes. The passenger transportation service, scheduled to begin late in 2028, obtained the Velvet brand.
