In 2017, the French government asked SNCF to launch a procurement process for a contract to supply 28 trains to operate on the Paris - Clermont-Ferrand and Paris - Limoges - Toulouse lines, along with an option for up to 75 trains, including 15 for the Bordeaux - Marseille route.
On September 17, a steering committee comprised of SNCF and the Director-General of Infrastructure, Transport and the Sea (DGITM), selected CAF as the preferred bidder for the contract. This decision will now be submitted to SNCF’s board of directors on October 24.
The fleet will enter service from 2023, replacing the current locomotive-hauled Corail coaches, some of which are 40 years old.
The trains will be easily accessible for passengers with reduced mobility, and will be fitted with Wi-Fi, power sockets, USB ports, and spaces for 10 bicycles, along with a catering trolley.
If CAF is confirmed as the winner of the contract, the trains will be manufactured in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, in southwest France, and Beasain in northern Spain.
The facility in Bagnères-de-Bigorre has operated since 1862, and was acquired by CAF in 2008. Following the award of the contract, CAF plans to spend around €30m develop the facility, expanding the workforce from 100 to 350 employees, renovating 20,000m2 of workshop space and building an additional 11,000m2.
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