SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom have unveiled the TGV INOUI interior fittings which will enter into passenger operation in 2026 on the Southeast Axis.
For this fifth generation of the TGV (named TGV M) the teams started from scratch, drawing on the experience of the four previous generations. In total, more than 2,000 people worked to ensure the success of this project.
The project is supported by the French government via the ADEME (Agence de l’Environnement Et de la Maîtrise de l’Énergie) and the SGPI (Secrétariat Général Pour l’Investissement).
In August 2018, SNCF placed a firm order with Alstom for 100 trainsets, followed by another 15 trainsets for travel outside France. In all, the order for 115 trainsets is worth nearly EUR 3.5 billion.
With equivalent performance, this new generation of TGVs will be 20% more energy-efficient, thanks in particular to its aerodynamics. It will achieve 50% CO2 savings compared to single-deck high-speed trains.
Manufactured with 25% recycled materials, more than 100 tonnes of materials, it will be 97% recyclable, making it the high-speed train with the lowest carbon footprint on the market.
The future TGV INOUI is part of Alstom’s Avelia high-speed and very high-speed train platform, which represents the largest offering on the market, covering maximum operating speeds between 200 km/h and 350 km/h.
Designing the TGV INOUI
The result of a collaboration between designers from the French agency AREP and the Japanese design company Nendo, the design of this TGV expresses fluidity. The project’s concept, “flow,” is based on a very simple idea: the train is unlike any other means of transport. It carves its way through the landscape, much like the flow of a river.
The designers played with the idea of depth within the interior, with a strong horizon line that runs through all the elements and gives the impression of the water’s surface. Flow is the soft shapes inspired by pebbles and objects polished by water, which are reflected in the details of the seats and the lamp, as well as the use of materials that are darker on the lower part and lighter on the upper part. The work on the layouts is part of a more comprehensive approach to the passenger experience on board the train, and all the interior ambiances, details, and exterior livery of the train have been redesigned, the passenger comfort being the central theme. The idea was to take a fresh look, to introduce a lasting change in the railway world and to re-enchant a technical and industrial environment, in order to create a softer and more personal bubble of comfort in a shared space.
Train’s exterior design was created based on the concept of complementarity between the rolling material and its environment and the landscapes it passes through. The highlight of TGV INOUI’s unique personality is the nose, marked by a long black ellipse, and its more aerodynamic shape for better air penetration, thus saving energy. This new shape eliminates many technical details, giving the train an almost animal-like appearance. Made with a more durable paint, the chosen colors increase the train’s reflective power and also reduce energy requirements in hot weather. The livery is thus more understated than usual, adding elegance to the train. The Frenchberry red, TGV INOUI’s signature, is concentrated on the boarding doors, inviting passengers to board like a red carpet.
Interior design
When creating TGV INOUI interior fittings, the entire crew was involved in the design of this train’s spaces, for the first time since the development of the TGV. Thus, the train managers helped define their layouts, for improved customer reception and work conditions. The drivers co-constructed their driver’s cab, and the maintenance technicians and cleaners helped design more suitable and easier layouts for their work.
The driver’s cab was co-constructed with 90 drivers that were able to choose between three different cab environments, presented using virtual reality, allowing them to imagine themselves in their future work environment. With their involvement, the indirect lighting was revised, as well as special lighting for night driving, safer air conditioning was introduced, with a backup system when the main system fails, and better soundproofing that improves cabin insulation for greater driver comfort.
The simplification of the TGV’s historical electrical architecture, combined with smaller electrical equipment, has made it possible to house all the equipment in two mini-motor cars, facilitating the addition of this ninth car. Thus, the TGV will have 9 passenger railcars, compared to 8 today, thus increasing the number of seats on board by 20%. In a train configuration with two classes and a bar, up to 600 seats will be available, and in its maximum configuration, the TGV will be able to accommodate 740.
The seat cover is a 3D knit, composed primarily of natural fibers, with 85% wool. This knit conforms to the curves of the seat and, above all, provides optimal comfort for all. The knit, stretched over a lightweight and innovative structure, produces a “hammock effect” that conforms to the shape of the back and thus adapts to all body shapes. The knit and its lightweight structure also allow for a slimmer seat back, providing more legroom for the same seat pitch: 5 cm wider in 2nd class. In 1st class, each seat is 5 cm wider to provide more space for the traveler. The result is a more generous armchair, in which it is possible to sit more comfortably and also to place personal belongings.
The new TGV INOUI train boasts unprecedented modularity. The number of railcars on this train can be adjusted according to transport needs, while a 1st-class coach can be converted into a 2nd-class carriage, and vice versa. In addition, the designed special spaces such as for luggage and bicycles will also be adjustable according to the seasons or markets. The future train offers three spaces that can accommodate a total of eight bicycles.
The new TGV will also be equipped with individual outlets for easier charging of electronic devices, lighting, USB ports, designed as building blocks that can easily be changed to adapt to future standards and deliver greater space and comfort.
Priority for passengers with disabilities
To provide increased access and amenities for wheelchair users, organisations such as APF France Handicap have fully contributed to this project by providing their field expertise and advocating for universal accessibility. This has been for the first time when a high-speed train has integrated the needs of people with disabilities from the design stage, thanks to ongoing dialogue between user associations and SNCF design teams. For the first time, this TGV INOUI will allow wheelchair users to board independently thanks to the integration of a lifting platform and a gap filler, providing continuity between the platform and the threshold.
This resulted in greater comfort and capacity for areas dedicated to wheelchair users providing greater circulation space in the dining room and 5 UFR seats (3 in dedicated spaces and 2 on transfer seats, with a new seating arrangement to come). The introduction of an on-seat catering service that makes on-board dining accessible to passengers in wheelchairs who cannot move around the bar and do not have a companion to assist them. To benefit from this service, simply place and pay for your order online by logging in on board the train or via the TGV INOUI portal.
The restroom area has also been reorganised, utilising the full width of the car to allow easy access for wheelchair users and their companions. New features to facilitate travel for people with disabilities have been developed and deployed throughout the train’s cars.
Another innovation is a new Door Locator (ARP) system that facilitates orientation for visually impaired people – a geolocation smartphone application linked to the train’s Bluetooth beacons). It will be operational beyond France’s borders.
The interior will also provide raised seat numbering for independent seating for visually impaired people, as well as high-contrast signage that is easily understood by people with intellectual disabilities.
For passengers with different disabilities, the train is also equipped with an onboard passenger information system based on screens allowing people with hearing impairments to access onboard information. In addition, double-rail handrails for accessing upper floors and facilitating movement for elderly or short people are to be installed.
TGV INOUI will also offer the option to reserve “Priority Seats” and “Priority Seats for Guide/Assistance Dogs” on TGV INOUI and Intercités trains.
A new vision for bistro bar
The Bistro bar in car 4 has been completely reinvented and is now called “Le Bistro TGV INOUI: a friendly bistro at 320 km/h. The project to transform the Bistro TGV INOUI represented a real technical and industrial challenge because it now occupies an entire car, integrating the former upper and lower dining rooms. The Bistro car occupies two floors, connected by a staircase. This was made possible by technical optimisations that freed up space under the dining room of the historic TGV trains.
The bistro car features a low-level shopping area with self-service grocery store and refrigerators, payment via self-service payment terminals, a barista in a low-level car to assist and advise customers and also perform various tasks such as restocking refrigerators and shelves. The railcar will have floor-to-ceiling windows that provide customers with high-quality exterior lighting for a more welcoming atmosphere and a view of the surrounding landscape. The bistro car will also have a space dedicated to consumption with 28 seats and can also accommodate more standing customers.
Testing stage
In December 2022, the TGV M completed its first laps during a six-month test campaign on the specialised Velim circuit in the Czech Republic. During these tests, each piece of equipment on the train was tested to validate its overall operation and address risks identified during the design phase in relation to regulatory requirements, all at speeds of up to 200 km/h, on a closed circuit. Development tests above 200 km/h and up to 320 km/h continued on the national rail network from mid-2023. Admission tests began in mid-2024 and will conclude in mid-2025. They consist of testing the train’s operation by reproducing the configurations and contexts that the train may encounter throughout its lifetime. Conducted on the national network, with trains traveling up to 320 km/h, the admission tests allow for the European Railways Agency (ERA) to obtain the market authorisation.
Starting in the summer of 2025, over a long period prior to commercial operation, several trains will run across the entire network as part of pre-operational tests that will allow the train’s reliability to be tested under real-world operating conditions. These tests, which will be carried out with the first six production trains, will also be an opportunity for drivers and train managers to familiarise themselves with this new train and its innovations.
By the end of all the tests required and required for the train’s entry into service, this new TGV will have completed more than 350 weeks of cumulative testing and will have traveled more than 1 million kilometers – a premiere as a train will have never run so much during the testing phase.
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