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Velvet, this new railway company that wants to compete with SNCF on the Paris Bordeaux line

undefined undefined 30 avril 2026 undefined 08h30

The Editor

A new private railway company is getting ready to shake up the high-speed train market. Velvet has unveiled its very first TGV and plans to connect Paris to Bordeaux as early as 2028, aiming to add 10 million seats a year along the Atlantic coast.

The landscape of rail transport is changing. After Trenitalia and Renfe, a new player is preparing to enter the station: Velvet, a brand of the Proxima group, aims to compete with SNCF on several strategic routes, including Paris-Bordeaux.

On April 22, 2026, the company presented its very first train, rolling out from the Alstom workshops in La Rochelle: a new generation dark green TGV, designed to serve Bordeaux, as well as Nantes, Rennes, and Angers starting in 2028.

Velvet announces 3 major routes to kick off

Velvet will start with three major routes: Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Angers-Nantes, and Paris-Rennes. In total, 12 Avelia Horizon trains (the same as the future TGV M from SNCF) have been ordered. The clear goal is to offer an additional 10 million seats per year on these highly demanded routes.

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According to the company, nearly 15% of travelers looking to take a TGV on the Atlantic coast are currently giving up due to a lack of available seats. This number could jump to 25% by 2028 if no action is taken.

A competition that could lower prices

Velvet assures that it doesn’t aim to slash prices like a low-cost airline, but to offer a quality alternative. The arrival of new operators has already shown its effects elsewhere: on the Paris-Lyon route, for example, Trenitalia's entry has led to an average price drop of 10%, according to the Transport Regulatory Authority. While Velvet's pricing strategy hasn't been revealed yet, the company promises a different offering designed to cater to both business travelers and weekend getaways.

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A maintenance workshop near Bordeaux

To kick off this project, the company raised one billion euros from Antin Infrastructure Partners, with 850 million dedicated to the contract signed with Alstom. This contract includes the construction of 12 trains and their maintenance for 15 years. A dedicated workshop is currently being built near Bordeaux.

The first tests on the railway network are scheduled for early 2027, ahead of a commercial launch slated for 2028.