Proxima plans Open Access High Speed operations in France

[YorkRailFan]

High speed rail start-up Proxima has announced a €1bn plan backed by investor Antin Infrastructure Partners to acquire 12 Alstom trainsets and launch open access services from Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers to Paris.

Proxima has been established by former Voyages SNCF CEO Rachel Picard, who was involved with the development of the Ouigo brand, and Timothy Jackson, founder of leasing company Alpha Trains and former RATP Dev CEO for Great Britain & Ireland.

Announcing its plans on June 6, Proxima said it aims to ‘reinvent the experience for its different customers’ by ‘listening to their needs, and reflecting the changes in consumer behaviour and changing ways of life’ including the growth in remote working, ‘erosion of the business/leisure boundary’ and the demand for better onboard connectivity.

It said its chosen routes have demonstrated strong demand in recent years, with train occupancy at all-time highs as a result of ‘dynamic’ economic and business trends, leisure travel and demographic growth, and it hopes to offer 10 million seats per year.

‘We want to help the French public take the train more, by offering them an alternative solution, which is easy, quick, and integrated into their new lifestyles’, said Picard.

Funding
Proxima said it ‘will be fully financed’ by Antin Infrastructure Partners, an energy, environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure investor based in Paris, and supported by a consortium of French and international banks.

The first phase would involve an investment of around €1bn for the purchase and maintenance of rolling stock, launch costs and working capital requirements.

Picard said ’thanks to Antin, we will have all the necessary resources to carry out this exciting project for the benefit of travellers’.

Rolling stock
Proxima has entered into exclusive negotiations with Alstom for the supply and maintenance of 12 Avelia Horizon trainsets, with options for more. It envisages that testing could begin in 2027.

Alstom told Railway Gazette International ‘this announcement confirms the attractiveness of Alstom’s Avelia portfolio on the high-speed market.’

Proxima has also reached an agreement with high speed line infrastructure concessionaire Lisea for the use of a maintenance and stabling depot in Marcheprime, 20 km south of Bordeaux.

Antin Infrastructures Partners Chairman & CEO Alain Rauscher said ‘the great knowledge of the French market brought by Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson, the partnerships concluded with Alstom and Lisea and Antin’s expertise in financing infrastructure projects, are the winning combination that will make Proxima a success.’

High speed train start-up Proxima announces €1bn launch plan

FRANCE: High speed rail start-up Proxima has announced a €1bn plan backed by investor Antin Infrastructure Partners to acquire 12 Alstom trainsets and launch open access services from Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers to Paris. Proxima has been established by former Voyages SNCF CEO Rachel...

www.railwaygazette.com

Sounds like they plan to take on OUIGO with affordable tickets for all. Very interesting that they're not taking on SNCF between Lyon and Paris though.

 

[andersj]

12 trains have now been ordered.

3 October 2024 – Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will supply 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains to Proxima and provide 15 years of maintenance on the lines along the Atlantic coast in France. The total order is worth almost 850 million euros[1]. First deliveries are expected in 2028.
Leveraging on 40 years’ experience of high-speed trains in commercial service, Alstom’s Avelia Horizon very high-speed train is the latest generation of double-decker train capable of travelling at speeds exceeding 300 km/h. It offers great operational flexibility and guarantees high levels of safety and passenger experience. It is made up of two innovative short-length power cars, combining high performance and compactness, and articulated double-decker cars.
Avelia Horizon reduces operating costs. The train has fewer bogies, which account for 30% of the cost of preventive maintenance. With the largest passenger capacity in the market, Avelia Horizon offers great level of service and comfort, and consequently lowers operating costs per seat.

A partner of choice​

Proxima, the launch of which has been announced in June 2024, is headed by two leading figures in the railway industry: Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson. It is fully financed by Antin Infrastructure Partners, backed by a consortium of leading French and international banks. Its very high-speed trains would serve Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Paris, for journeys of 2 hours or less.

A product designed and manufactured in France​

10 of Alstom’s 16 French sites will be involved in this project:

• Belfort, for power cars;
• La Rochelle, for passenger cars and project management;
• Villeurbanne, for the control-command computer system, passenger information system and on-board equipment;
• Ornans, for engines;
• Le Creusot, for bogies;
• Tarbes, for traction and electrical cabinets;
• EDC Toulouse, for electrical circuits;
• Petit-Quevilly, for transformers;
• Saint-Ouen, for design and signalling;
• and Valenciennes (CDS Interiors) for the interiors

[1] Contract booked in the second quarter of Alstom’s 2024/25 fiscal year
Alstom™, Avelia™ and Avelia Horizon™ are protected trademarks of the Alstom Group.

Alstom receives an order from Proxima for 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains, including 15 years of maintenance

Proxima, the first independent company to enter the high-speed market in France, has signed a firm order for 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains

www.alstom.com

 

[signed]

Very interesting that they're not taking on SNCF between Lyon and Paris though.

With all the OA coming on that line (SNCF, Trenitalia, Renfe, Kevin Speed) and the crowding of tracks around Lyon, I would think that there is very small breathing room left