After a cross-channel train journey I can’t resist switching into nerd mode. Whilst in France I saw an article in a paper about the next generation TGV, called the AGV for Automotrice Grande Vitesse. Alas I’m not up to google.fr-ing it so I’ll have to try and dredge the facts from memory.

• Automotrice means self-powered, I’m told, but in this instance it refers to the motive power being distributed throughout the train rather than in power cars at either end, much like the EMU commuter units that we see round these parts.
• For the same speed, it consumes 20% less power than the TGV.
• It’ll top 360km/h to the TGV’s 320km/h.
• The Italians have placed an order for the Rome-Naples route expected to start running 2010.
• SNCF are planning to buy 20-30 trains per year for five years from 2014 to replace the TGV, and Alstom are hoping the AGV will be it.
• The Californians are apparently interested. The article appeared to say that Arnie had already ridden on the prototype incognito (can we have translated that bit correctly?)