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The next generation of high-speed trains, the TGV Avelia Horizon, officially entered commercial service this Friday, November 6, 2026, connecting Paris and Marseille. This milestone marks the culmination of a massive industrial program involving 11 Alstom sites across France, with a significant contribution originating from the Villeurbanne facility in the Lyon metropolitan area.
Villeurbanne: A Hub for Railway Intelligence
Nearly 50 employees at the Villeurbanne site, recognized as Alstom’s center of excellence for railway electronics and digital systems, dedicated several years to this project. Their expertise was crucial in developing the train’s embedded systems, ranging from passenger information technologies to the complex digital architecture that allows the train’s various equipment components to communicate seamlessly.
The teams in the Rhône region were involved throughout the entire lifecycle of these technologies, from initial development to rigorous testing and validation on board the trains.
A Collaborative Industrial Effort
The development of the Avelia Horizon is a testament to French industrial cooperation. The work was distributed across 11 key locations:
- La Rochelle: Passenger car assembly
- Belfort: Power car assembly
- Le Creusot: Bogie manufacturing
- Ornans: Motor production
- Tarbes: Traction systems
- Villeurbanne: Embedded electronics and digital architecture
Alstom reports that over 2,000 employees directly contributed to the train’s development, supporting approximately 4,000 jobs within the French railway sector.
Efficiency and Innovation
As the first completely redesigned TGV generation in thirty years, the Avelia Horizon incorporates over 400 patented innovations. Key improvements include:
- Capacity: More compact power cars allow for an additional passenger car, increasing capacity by up to 20%.
- Energy: A 20% reduction in energy consumption compared to the previous generation.
- Maintenance: Expected reduction in maintenance costs by over 30%.
The platform has already gained international interest, with SNCF Voyageurs ordering 160 trainsets, including 30 for Eurostar. The technology is also slated for use in the expansion of the Moroccan high-speed network and for the new French operator, Velvet.
For Villeurbanne, this launch serves as a vital industrial showcase for the digital expertise developed in the Lyon metropolis, setting the stage for future railway projects both domestically and internationally.
Source: Lyon Entreprises
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