NEW entrant to the European open-access high-speed market, Kevin Speed, signed a framework contract reserving train paths with French infrastructure manager SNCF Network on February 29.
The start-up plans to run its first services on three routes:
- Paris Nord - TGV Haute Picardie - Lille Flandres (1h 10min journey time)
- Paris Est - TGV Champagne-Ardenne - TGV Meuse - TGV Lorraine - Strasbourg (2h 5min), and
- Paris Lyon - Le Creusot TGV - Mâcon-Loché TGV - Lyon Part-Dieu (2h 8min)
All trains will run only on high-speed lines. Most of the intermediate stations currently have limited services to Paris, while TGV Haute Picardie currently has none at all.
At the signing, in the presence of France’s new transport minister Mr Patrick Vergriete, Kevin Speed announced that it hopes to start test running in 2026 and revenue services in 2028. This is in spite of the fact that the company has not yet ordered any trains. It says it will need stock with plenty of doors to reduce station dwell times. This seems to rule out Alstom double-deck TGVs.
The company says it aims to operate an hourly service on each route, which suggests a minimum fleet of 13 trains, plus maintenance spares. No announcements have yet been made on where this fleet will be maintained.
Kevin Speed’s business model is based on high frequency operation, with tight turnround times, in order to attract new customers, especially from intermediate stations, at much lower fares than SNCF.
