Alstom unveils train capable of commercial speed of 360 kph

Alstom unveiled the prototype of the AGV (Automotrice Grande Vitesse, Alstom's registered trademark), its latest, new generation very high-speed train at La Rochelle, France, yesterday that can be run at 360 kph per hour.

This single deck, state-of-the-art train incorporates articulated carriages, a technology which contributed to the success of France's TGV (registered trademark of France's national railway company, SNCF) train, and a new distributed drive system.

The current commercial speed of France's current TGV trains is 320 kph. Put another way, travelling at 360 kph means travelling 1000 km by rail in under just three hours

The AGV has been designed to reach a commercial speed of 360 kph. The AGV already has its first customer, Italy's new railway operator, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV), which has placed firm orders for 25 trains (with options for 10 more) and has signed a maintenance contract with the French engineering firm. Production of the first trains will begin in mid-2008, and the deliveries will commence from 2010 onwards.

Patrick Kron, chairman and chief executive officer of Alstom and Philippe Mellier, president of Alstom Transport, unveiled the prototype of the AGV at Alstom Transport's plant in La Rochelle in the presence of Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France and numerous dignitaries.

During the unveiling ceremony, the futuristic and aerodynamic design of the AGV and its technological innovations were particularly highlighted.