Proxima, the first independent company to enter the high-speed market in France, ordered from Alstom 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains including the provisioning of maintenance services for 15 years. EUR 850 million is the value of the contract and the first deliveries are planned in 2028.
Proxima, the launch of which has been announced in June 2024. It is fully financed by Antin Infrastructure Partners, backed by a consortium of leading French and international banks.it is expected that Antin will invest EUR 1 billion in Proxima, co-founded by Rachel Picard, former Chief Executive Officer of SNCF Gares & Connexions at SNCF Group and Tim Jackson, former CEO of the UK RATP Dev.
The new Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains will operate the lines along the Atlantic coast in France and will serve Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Paris, for journeys of 2 hours or less.
10 of Alstom’s 16 French sites will be involved in this project. The plant in Belfort will be responsible for the power cars, while La Rochelle, for passenger cars and project management. In Villeurbanne the control-command computer system, passenger information system and on-board equipment will be developed, and Le Creusot will build the bogies.
The maintenance services will be performed in a workshop designed and built by Liséa and located in Marcheprime, near Bordeaux.
Proxima will become the second private company granted access to France’s high-speed rail network.
The Avelia Horizon very high-speed train is the latest generation of double-decker train capable of travelling at speeds exceeding 300 km/h. It offers great operational flexibility and guarantees high levels of safety and passenger experience. It is made up of two innovative short-length power cars, combining high performance and compactness, and articulated double-decker cars.
Avelia Horizon reduces operating costs. The train has fewer bogies, which account for 30% of the cost of preventive maintenance. With the largest passenger capacity in the market, Avelia Horizon offers great level of service and comfort, and consequently lowers operating costs per seat.
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