Overview
- The TGV M began commercial service on Friday, November 6, 2026, with inaugural Paris–Marseille runs and early passenger reports praising more legroom, larger windows and a two‑level bar.
- Alstom and SNCF say the new double‑deck train uses about 20% less energy than the previous generation and cuts CO2 per passenger roughly in half compared with the 1981 TGV.
- The train is modular and can run with eight or nine cars, carrying roughly 573 to 740 seats depending on layout, and it includes a battery storage system that can propel the train to the nearest station during a power failure.
- SNCF has ordered 160 rames for more than €5 billion with phased deliveries through the 2030s, but Alstom has cut near‑term production forecasts, reported weaker results and plans an industrial reorganisation in spring 2027.
- Industry experts say the TGV M is a key export product for French rail manufacturing, and its wider success will depend on Alstom resolving production bottlenecks and meeting the state’s employment and delivery expectations.