France unveils high-speed train
The AGV is faster than France's TGV trains
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Tuesday, 05, Feb 2008 01:41
French train manufacturer Alstom has unveiled its latest high-speed train capable of reaching speeds of 360kph (224mph).
The single-deck AGV train is the successor to France's TGV network, which runs at 320kph.
It is the first train to incorporate articulated carriages and also has a distributed drive system, allowing more seats to be located in the train.
Alstrom presented the train at its plant in La Rochelle at a ceremony attended by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The AGV is more environmentally friendly than its main competitors, with a 15-per-cent lower energy consumption.
It incorporates latest signalling standards so that it can be used on all European lines. Italian railway operator NTV has already placed an order for 25 AGVs to be distributed by 2010.
Alstom chairman and chief executive Patrick Kron said: "We have developed this train using our own funds, a very unusual approach in the railway industry, because we understood that the market for very high-speed rail travel was about to diversify.
"In order to maintain our leadership, we needed to broaden and update our range of products. The AGV has arrived on the market just at the time when very high-speed rail travel is undergoing a new expansion phase, not only in its traditional markets but also in many developing countries."