France: Eight-car single- and double-deck trains have begun carrying passengers on the Marseille–Toulon–Nice route. The operator Transdev offers 14 train pairs on weekdays and 16 on weekends. It is the first private operator to manage a regional line since the nationalisation of France’s railways in 1937.
The trains are based on the Omneo platform, which was formerly owned by Bombardier Transportation, acquired by Alstom in 2021. They operate at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Each 110-metre trainset offers 352 first- and second-class seats, 49 folding seats, and 12 spaces for bicycles.
Omneo Premiums from Alstom on the private high-speed line. Source: BFM
The €250 mln contract for 16 trains and 10 years of maintenance was signed in 2021. Nine units have been delivered so far, with the remainder due by November. The trains are assembled at Alstom’s Crespin plant in France.
