We recently reported on Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF being the preferred bidder of French railway operator SNCF for the delivery of new intercity electric multiple units (EMU). The story has now moved forward.
On the 24th October 2019, SNCF announced that the decision has been taken, confirming that CAF is indeed the winning bidder.
Nicknamed ‘Confort200’ (200 km/h), 28 of these trains have been ordered, with an option for 75 more. They should enter service on the Paris – Clermont-Ferrand and Paris – Limoges – Toulouse lunes from 2023, and will replace loco-hauled ageing Corail coaches.
Financed exclusively by the French State and designed by French design studio Avant-Première, the Confort200 EMUs will be built in France (Bagnères-de-Bigorre) and Spain (Beasain). They will be equipped with catering equipment and comfort features such as WiFi, information TFT screens, USB ports, power sockets, and reading lights.
You can read more about the background of this order in our previous article.
