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Another big day for SNCF’s first domestic competitor for the high speed rail market Velvet. Today it presented the first complete train, 11 coaches in dark green, white and lilac:
Passenger coaches are being assembled at Alstom’s La Rochelle factory. Simultaneously, Velvet’s power cars, are being completed in Belfort. Test runs on the French rail network will start soon.
The background story
The story of Velvet began when co-founders Rachel Picard, former director of SNCF Voyageurs, and her partner met just after the liberalisation of the French rail market and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both had made the same observation: demand for green, long-distance travel has never been higher, yet current rail capacity falls short. As many as 15% of would-be rail travellers either opt for more polluting alternatives—or don’t travel at all. To meet this need, Project Proxima was born. Today, it becomes reality under its new name: Velvet.
In 2024, Mrs. Picard announced having secured EUR 1 billion of (French) funding. In October 2024, Alstom officially announced having received an order for 12 Avelia Horizon high-speed trains from Proxima, including 15 years of maintenance, an order worth EUR 850 million. The Velvet trains are based on the TGV M design of SNCF, with a few minor modifications for this project. The choice of Alstom was based on industrial patriotism and the cost of reliability/comfort.
According to Velvert, the fully booked TGV trains to western France indicate demand is outstripping supply, More train services are needed. Starting in 2028, Velvet will offer 10 million additional seats per year on major routes between Paris and Bordeaux, Nantes, Angers, and Rennes. Trains to be maintained at a Lisea depot near Bordeaux. Velvet represents a rare convergence: a fully French rail company, built for France’s people and cities, supported by French capital, French design, and a dose of French flair.
Power cars in Velvet design were first shown to the press in July 2025:
An artist impression published around the same time:
