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Take a look inside France's newest high-speed train

Oliver Gee
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Take a look inside France's newest high-speed train
The bar carriage of the new high-speed trains. Photo: SNCF

Forty new high-speed trains are soon to hit the tracks in France, and they look pretty impressive indeed.

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The new "Océane" TGV trains have been revealed by rail operator SNCF, built with thanks to a €1.2 billion project from Alstom. 
 
The trains, which can run at up to 320 kilometres per hour, will be used on the Tours to Bordeaux line. 
 
They can seat 556 passengers (22 percent more accommodating than the current TGVs) and have been built with great passenger comfort and more space, SNCF heads said at the launch at the Gare de Montparnasse in Paris. 
 
 
First class, which has room for 158 passengers, will feature seats that can be spun around to face the direction of travel if a passenger requests. 
 
These passengers will also get individual charging points and USB ports. 

All passengers will be able to benefit from Wi-Fi throughout the train, as well as real-time information about the journey. 
 
There will also be extra storage space, more wheelchair spots, and "benches" that are available for group travel, not to mention an upgraded and spacious bar carriage.  
 
The maiden voyage will be December 11th when a train will run between Paris and Toulouse in the south. 
 
A full 17 of the new trains will be in operation by the time the new line to Bordeaux opens in July next year, with the rest of the trains due to hit the tracks by late 2019. 
 
The high-speed trains are going to shave 70 minutes off the trip between Paris and Bordeaux, with SNCF predicting that that the faster trains will attract 2.3 million extra passengers a year.
 
A one-way trip will be possible in 124 minutes, down from 194 at present, great news for any Parisians thinking about upping sticks, moving to Bordeaux, and making the commute. 
 
 

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