. The new operator plans to offer connections from Paris to Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, and Angers, banking on the fact that the current service fails to meet the full demand on these routes.
The train, featuring a dark green color scheme with white and purple accents, is the first of an order for 12 trainsets. The French press reports that the order is worth over EUR 850 million, while the operator’s project has been supported by total funding of approximately EUR 1 billion.
Velvet Targets the Atlantic Coast
The company says it wants to add approximately 10 million seats per year on routes to western France. Co-founder Timothy Jackson claims that, currently, approximately 15% of those who would like to board a high-speed train are unable to find a seat due to a lack of capacity.
Velvet’s message is that it is not directly challenging the quality of SNCF’s service, but rather seeking to enter a market where demand exceeds available supply. The company is focusing particularly on routes considered heavily congested, especially toward Bordeaux and the rest of the Atlantic coast.
A new French private operator
Velvet is presented as the first French private rail operator to have come this far with a project for its own high-speed trains. Behind the initiative is Rachel Picard, a former key figure in the SNCF group, who launched the company Proxima in 2024, the operator that will use the Velvet brand.
According to the French press, the project is currently the most advanced among new French private initiatives in the high-speed sector, while other projects, such as Le Train or Ilisto, are still seeking funding.
Service launch scheduled for 2028
Velvet says the first commercial service would be a Paris–Bordeaux route in 2028, followed by trains to Rennes and Nantes. Until then, static tests conducted by Alstom are scheduled, followed by dynamic tests on the network next year.
According to the company, the 12 trainsets are expected to be delivered at a rate of one per month in 2028, and the full fleet should be available in 2029.
Same platform as the TGV M, but with a different commercial promise
The train chosen by Velvet is the Avelia Horizon, the same technical platform that Alstom uses for the TGV M intended for SNCF. Externally, the two trains are very similar, but Velvet promises a different experience for the customer.
The company has not yet revealed the trains’ interiors, pricing model, or exact number of seats, but the French press notes that the trains will be very spacious, with at least 600 seats, precisely to make the project economically viable.
Velvet also states that it will not include some of the specific technical solutions required by SNCF for the TGV M, which would allow it to speed up delivery and avoid the delays that have affected the trains ordered by the public operator.
Competition that could drive prices down
Velvet’s entry into the market is being closely watched for its potential impact on fares. The French press notes that, following Trenitalia’s entry on the Paris–Lyon route, the average price fell by 10%, according to the Transport Regulatory Authority.
Velvet hopes to produce a similar effect on westbound routes, although the company is currently avoiding detailing how it will position itself relative to TGV Inoui and Ouigo.
SNCF views the new entrants with caution
The French public operator, however, views these new projects with caution. The main criticism is that the new competitors are primarily choosing the most profitable lines and direct connections, while SNCF must also support intermediate stations or less profitable routes.
Velvet responds that it will also contribute to financing the rail system through infrastructure fees, estimating that it will pay approximately EUR 200 million per year in network access fees. The company insists that it wants to grow gradually and expand its network as it demonstrates that the model works.
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