The French high-speed train TGV arrived in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Experts will test the Avelia Horizon double-decker train set on a test track near Velim in the Kolín region. Passengers in France will ride the new train for the first time in 2024.
The train, manufactured by the engineering company Alstom, arrived from Austria in the afternoon in Velim and at the Railway Research Institute (VUZ) test track.
According to the manufacturer, the Avelia Horizon is the only double-decker train capable of traveling over 300 kilometers per hour. Compared to the previous generation of double-decker trains, it offers one-fifth more passenger seats, with a maximum of 740 people carried. The train can travel at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour.
TGV trains are the pioneers of high-speed rail in Europe, running at speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour. They have been in operation for over 40 years, serving passengers since September 1981, and in addition to France, they now also travel to Belgium, Britain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
The last time the TGV was seen in the Czech Republic was this summer. The historic train set, built in 1980, was brought to the country by the state organization Railway Administration to promote the development of high-speed lines.
In the Czech Republic, the maximum speed on the lines remains at 160 kilometers per hour for the time being. According to current plans, construction of the first section of high-speed rail in the Czech Republic should begin in 2026, with operation about four years later.