Railway Gazette: Third generation TGV Duplex handed over

FRANCE: Alstom Chief Executive Patrick Kron formally handed over the first of 55 'third generation' TGV Duplex high speed trainsets to SNCF President Guillaume Pepy by on May 30.

Ordered in June 2007, the latest evolution of the TGV Duplex family incorporates changes arising from EU Technical Specifications for Interoperability, as well as improved passenger information and fire safety equipment and changes aimed at lowering operator's life cycle costs.

The 320 km/h SNCF trainsets will have signalling and multi-voltage electrical equipment for use in France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, and some will be modified with fire doors for use in Spain. The third generation platform also forms the basis of the 14 sets which Morocco's ONCF ordered in December 2010 for use on Tanger - Casablanca services from 2015.