Proxima ordered Avelia Horizons

On 3 October 2024, Alstom announced that it will supply 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains to Proxima and provide 15 years of maintenance on the lines along the Atlantic coast in France. The total order is worth almost 850 million EUR. First deliveries are expected in 2028, the trains will have nine intermediate cars and will be 200 m long.

Avelia Horizon is the latest generation of double-deck train capable of travelling at speeds exceeding 300 km/h. It is made up of two short-length power cars and articulated non-powered double-deckers.

Proxima, the launch of which has been announced in June 2024, is headed by two leading figures in the railway industry: Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson. It is fully financed by Antin Infrastructure Partners, backed by a consortium of leading French and international banks. Its very high-speed trains would serve Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Paris, for journeys of 2 hours or less.