French open-access operator
Velvet (formerly Proxima) has presented the first of 12 Avelia Horizon trainsets ordered from
Alstom. The EUR 850m contract, signed in 2024, includes 15 years of maintenance to be performed at a dedicated facility currently under construction in Marcheprime, near Bordeaux. The project is backed by EUR 1bn in funding from Antin Infrastructure Partners.
The Avelia Horizon fleet features a dual-power-car and double-decker trailer configuration, offering up to 25% higher passenger capacity and 20% lower energy consumption compared to previous high-speed generations. Static and dynamic testing on the French national rail network is scheduled to begin later this year. Velvet plans to launch commercial operations in 2028, targeting 10 million seats annually on routes connecting Paris with Bordeaux, Nantes, Angers, and Rennes.
The first unit was manufactured at Alstom’s Aytré facility near La Rochelle, with power cars produced in Belfort. The operator expects to take delivery of the remaining units at a rate of approximately one per month throughout 2028. Once fully operational, Velvet projects it will pay approximately EUR 200m annually in network access charges to the infrastructure manager.
railmarket.com