France has officially entered the era of fully battery-powered regional trains: two AGC multiple units converted by Alstom, in partnership with SNCF Voyageurs and five regions, have been operating since summer 2026 on non-electrified lines, eliminating direct CO₂ emissions and testing a complementary solution to diesel, hydrogen and hybrid power in real-world conditions.
On 31 August, the Occitanie Region put France’s first battery-powered regional train – the liO prototype – into service, marking the first step in the regional authorities’ efforts to decarbonise transport and strengthen rail services.
On 28 July 2026, the Sud Region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) became the first French region to put a battery-powered regional train into service, operating on the Avignon–Carpentras line. Operated by SNCF Voyageurs TER Sud, this train runs on electricity on sections of the line equipped with overhead catenary, then, at Sorgues station, switches to battery power to continue its journey to Carpentras on the non-electrified section of the line.
Funding, technology and increased service: how the battery-powered trial works
France’s first two 100 per cent battery-powered trains are part of a national programme involving five regions (Occitanie, Sud, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine), SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom, with a total investment of over EUR 41 million. Of the total amount, EUR 30 million come from the five regions, EUR 6 million from SNCF Voyageurs and EUR 5.5 million from Alstom.
The technology is based on the conversion of two existing AGC (Autorail Grande Capacité) multiple units: the diesel engines have been replaced with lithium-ion batteries, and the trains run on the overhead line on electrified sections and switch to battery power on non-electrified sections. The range in 100% electric mode is over 80 km, and energy generated during braking is recovered and stored in the batteries, enabling energy savings of up to 20 per cent. Passengers also benefit from improved acoustic comfort, as the train is quieter than the diesel version.
In Occitanie, the battery-powered train has been put into service on the Nîmes–Vauvert line (the non-electrified section of the Nîmes–Le Grau-du-Roi route) and operates three return services a day, two of which are additional to the schedule from September 2025.
Combining the battery-powered and diesel services, the total number of liO trains running between Nîmes and Vauvert reaches 11 per day.
The trial is scheduled to last for at least two years and aims to analyse performance, acceleration, range, electricity consumption and reliability in day-to-day operation.
The launch event on 31 August 2026 at Nîmes-Centre station was attended by Jean-Luc Gibelin, Vice-President for Mobility and Transport Infrastructure for the Occitanie region; Gaël Barbier, Regional Director of SNCF Voyageurs Occitanie; and Olivier Delecroix, Vice-President for Marketing and Sales at Alstom France.
“The launch of France’s first battery-powered regional train is a tangible result of a strong political commitment by the President of the Occitanie region. With this achievement, Occitanie is at the forefront of innovation and the energy transition. We are the only region to have undertaken all these trials: hybrid trains, hydrogen trains, battery-powered trains, and HVO-fuelled trains,” said Jean-Luc Gibelin, Vice-President of the Occitanie region for Mobility and Transport Infrastructure.
Occitanie, the only French region testing four decarbonisation solutions
Occitanie is at the forefront of innovation and the energy transition. Having trialled a tri-mode (electric, diesel, battery-powered) Régiolis hybrid train on the Toulouse rail network and prepared hydrogen-powered Régiolis trains for the Montréjeau–Luchon line, it is now adding a 100 per cent battery-powered variant, becoming the first region in France to test three technologies for reducing diesel use in regional rail transport: hybrid, battery and hydrogen, to which HVO fuel (based on hydrotreated vegetable oil) is also being added.
“By adopting hybrid, battery and, soon, hydrogen technologies, Occitanie is the only French region to be trialling three technologies to reduce the role of diesel in regional trains. And this innovation goes hand in hand with a very concrete ambition: the development of the public rail service,” said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie region, when she announced the start of the trials on 10 August.
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