France: The Board of the French national operator SNCF, which holds the controlling share of the European passenger operator Eurostar, has approved a framework contract worth around €2 bln.
The firm part of the order includes the delivery of 30 Avelia Horizon electric trains (the fifth generation of the TGV service) valued at approximately €1.4 bln.
The purchase was announced in May 2024 alongside the publication of Eurostar’s 2023 financial results, which exceeded €2 bln in revenue for the first time.
Each trainset will have nine double-deck articulated coaches providing 540 seats. In comparison with the previous-generation models, Alstom’s new trains will reportedly consume 20% less energy, while the maintenance costs will also reduce by 30%.
The future rolling stock, dubbed the Eurostar Celestia, is going to connect Germany, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands with the UK through the Channel Tunnel. The first six four-voltage trainsets, designed for a maximum speed of 320 km/h, are expected to enter service in 2031.
Ten of 14 Alstom’s sites in France will be involved in the project. To date, the French producer has secured contracts from SNCF for 115 Avelia Horizons, from the French private operator Proxima for 12 trainsets and from Morocco’s national operator ONCF for 18 units.
This spring, Alstom announced a €150 mln investment into the development of its French facilities to augment the high-speed rolling stock production capacity. In particular, the company plans to increase the number of assembly lines from one to three by 2028.
