New High-Speed Trains Could Shake Up Paris–Bordeaux Travel
French start-up Velvet has secured a railway undertaking licence, bringing its plan to challenge SNCF on western France’s high-speed network closer to launch. The company plans services linking Paris with Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers using 12 Alstom Avelia Horizon trains. Velvet says commercial operations will begin in 2028, while its new licence requires passenger services to start no later than 1 September that year.
Where the New Trains Could Take You
- Operator: Velvet, an independent French high-speed rail company.
- Routes: Paris–Bordeaux, Paris–Nantes, Paris–Rennes and Paris–Angers.
- First route: Paris–Bordeaux, expected in 2028.
- Later rollout: Rennes, Angers and Nantes expected in 2029.
- Frequency: Not yet announced.
- Seasonality: Not yet announced.
- Trains: 12 double-deck Alstom Avelia Horizon sets.
France’s transport ministry granted the licence on 31 August, with the order published on 2 September. It allows Velvet to operate passenger rail services but does not itself provide access to the network. A Single Safety Certificate is also required before a railway company can use the infrastructure. Velvet’s first train was assembled and presented in April, with static and dynamic testing planned before the 2028 launch.
Bordeaux is expected to come first, adding another high-speed choice for trips to its historic centre, Cité du Vin and surrounding wine country. Rennes would provide another route towards Brittany, while Angers gives access to the Loire Valley and its château. Nantes adds another western city-break option. SNCF already serves all four destinations, so Velvet would give passengers a second operator on these Paris corridors.
There is nothing new to book yet. Velvet has not published fares, a full timetable or ticket-sale dates, and the launch still depends on the remaining railway approvals. If the planned network goes ahead, the company says it will add more than 10 million seats each year between Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers, giving passengers another set of fares and departure times to compare with SNCF.