*****Correction: TGV’s of the Oceane fleet will not after all be deployed on Paris-Milan. Media reports from France say that six units of “TGV Network” will be assigned to the route.

These units will be refurbished to make them more competitive with Frecciarossa 1000 standards. They are expected to operate for a few years until the next generation TGVs become available.

Further changes are possible.*****

As we reported recently, Italy’s Trenitalia is preparing to launch its Milan-Paris (Lyon) service soon.

This is a significant development in the European Year of Rail as it will be the first time that France’s SNCF has faced proper international competition. Moreover the stylish Frecciarossa 1000s which Trenitalia will deploy are a cut above the TGVs currently used by SNCF.

 

 

According to La Tribune, SNCF will face this heightened competition with project “Riposte.” Full details of what this project will entail will be revealed in the coming weeks, but what we do know is SNCF will initially deploy units from its more modern TGV Océane fleet.

Then the next generation of TGV-M units is likely to be deployed from 2024, according to director of Voyages SNCF Alain Krakovitch.

Krakovitch tells La Tribune that TGV-M will be used as a “main weapon” to compete with Frecciarossa 1000 “with a design and services that others will not have.”

For information about the TGV-M, see:

Alstom unveils next generation TGV

 

Personally I find it a pity that it has taken competition before SNCF improves service on this route. It’s a view shared by EU transport expert Jon Worth in a recent tweet.

 

 

There is much potential for the Paris-Milan route. Competition is needed to bring this out. For starters one must remember these trains on this route will also serve Lyon, while Paris and Milan are major rail hubs in themselves.

Sncf.com/fr

trenitalia.com