TGV M high-speed train inaugural service Paris-Marseille, Digi Mart USA News (France): The first TGV M trainset will be officially inaugurated on Friday morning on the Southeast high-speed line. Passengers will have more seats, a car dedicated to people with reduced mobility, and a two-level onboard bar.
The inaugural trip between Paris and Marseille is scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026, in the presence of Jean Castex, chief executive of SNCF, Alstom chief executive Martin Sion, and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot. The launch was originally planned for 2024 but was delayed by two years due to cumulative delays by the manufacturer Alstom.
The new train is the fifth generation of TGV and is designed to be considerably more modern. It offers 20% more seats than current trainsets, a welcome gain as trains are increasingly full and SNCF struggles to meet surging demand.
In the first year, 19 trainsets will enter service, with about 15 more added each year until reaching 115 in total.
The interior, designed by the agency Arep, a subsidiary of SNCF Gares et Connexions, in collaboration with the Japanese design firm Nendo, brings several major changes. The onboard bar, now called “le bistrot,” has two levels.
The ground floor includes refrigerators for self-service, coffee machines, microwaves and automated checkouts.
On a mezzanine level, 28 seats allow passengers to sit and eat alone or in groups. One car can also accommodate five wheelchair users on the ground floor, with an elevator allowing wheelchair users to access their seats independently.
Other changes include wider seats in first class, more legroom in second class, and longer panoramic windows.
The other major innovation is a car dedicated to passengers with reduced mobility. An elevator at the car entrance allows wheelchair users to board on their own.
They can also order drinks and food from their seats, with a staff member serving them.
The TGV M is less energy-intensive, more spacious, brighter and more comfortable. The first passengers are expected to arrive at Marseille Saint-Charles station at 1:05 p.m.
The train will enter service on the Paris-Marseille route “in the course of autumn 2026,” according to SNCF and the rail manufacturer Alstom, after repeated postponements.
Trainsets have been conducting test runs and pre-commercial runs between Marseille and Paris for several weeks. SNCF is considering eliminating one or two TGV stops as early as December at Les Arcs-Draguignan station in the Var department, a prospect that worries travelers, professionals and local officials.
A petition has already gathered more than 20,000 signatures.
