It's a picture we've been waiting for. The very first train for Velvet, the new French high-speed train company, has left the factory in La Rochelle. A step as symbolic as it is concrete, in a project that aims to enter service in 2028.
Behind this fir-green train with its lilac ribbon, a new rail player is taking shape. It's a promise: that of 10 million additional places per year on already saturated lines. But is it really a revolution?
On site, the message is clear: "Make the train win". This was the message hammered home by Velvet co-founder Rachel Picard on Wednesday April 22, 2026. Behind this formula lies a broader ambition: to offer "more ways to organize your travel". and even, eventually, "redrawing the boundaries between professional and personal life".. A vision that goes beyond the simple launch of a new operator. We tell you all about it.
Since the health crisis, train ridership has risen sharply. According to Velvet, there are now almost 15% of potential travellers unable to find a seat on the most popular routes. A proportion that could reach 25% by 2030, according to the projections put forward by Velvet at the time of its launch in June 2024.
In this context, Velvet is positioned as a direct response to this saturation We're targeting particularly popular routes such as Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Nantes, Paris-Rennes and Paris-Angers. These are routes where demand is already very high, especially during peak periods such as weekend departures and school vacations.
The launch of the first Velvet train in La Rochelle marks a concrete step forward in a project that, until now, could still seem a long way off. In less than twelve months since the billion-euro fund-raising announced in June 2024, production has been launched at Alstom, the trains are being manufactured, and the industrial schedule is on track.
The launch will be gradual. Velvet plans to start with four trainsets on the Paris-Bordeaux route from mid-2028before expanding to other lines. This ramp-up is constrained by the pace of train deliveries, estimated at around one train set per month.
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In practical terms, this means that network rollout will take time. For example, it will take several months from the opening of the first line to the opening of subsequent lines, to ensure that a sufficient number of trains are available to provide a regular service.
Nevertheless, in a sector where lead times are often long and uncertain (particularly during the testing and certification phases, when projects can fall behind schedule), this rapid ramp-up is already a significant signal.
To understand in detail Velvet's ambitions, its future lines and its positioning, you can read our complete deciphering of the Velvet company:
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At first glance, the launch of the first Velvet train in La Rochelle might seem like a major break with the on-board experience. In reality, the change is likely to be more nuanced. The trainsets on order are Avelia Horizon, a new generation of high-speed trains developed by Alstom, the world's leading rail operator. same model as the future TGV INOUI (or TGV M) commissioned by SNCF Voyageurs.
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These double-decker trains, designed by Alstom, promise more space, more light thanks to enlarged windows, and improved energy efficiency. In technical terms, they are in line with the most recent high-speed trains deployed in France.
Velvet's differentiating feature is its on-board experience, with a interior design inspired by other sectors such as the hotel and airline industries and a design that would have incorporated user feedback from the earliest phases of the project. It remains to be seen how these intentions will play out in practice once the trains are in service.
Motrice Velvet © Tolt - HOURRAIL !
Velvet sums up this experience around a few simple principles: a fluid journey, easy-to-understand services and "useful details on board". The train becomes the brand's main means of expression, at once a technological showcase and a living space designed down to the smallest detail.
Even the train's livery is designed as a manifesto. Green evokes performance and technology, while the lilac ribbon conveys the idea of fluidity and movement. It's Velvet's way of asserting a "resolutely impactful" visual identity, designed to leave a lasting impression from the moment the train arrives at the station.
This development also raises broader issues. Today, the railway model is partly based on a balance between profitable and less-frequented routes The former help finance the latter. This principle of equalization enables less popular services to remain accessible, as Alain Krakovitch explained to our microphone.
This model is largely based on the incumbent operator. Today, SNCF Voyageurs is the main contributor to the financing of the network, notably through the rail tolls it pays, but also more broadly through its participation in the economic equilibrium of the system.
By positioning itself exclusively on the most popular (and most lucrative) routes, Velvet is following a coherent economic logic, but one that begs the question: what happens to this balance if competition concentrates on the most profitable segments? This is a question that has been raised by the opening up of competition in Europe for several years now, with very different answers depending on the country.
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At the same time, certain measures can be taken to facilitate the arrival of new entrants, for example by adapting network access conditions during the first years of operation. A point that also fuels the debate on fairness between operators.
We also wonder to what extent this new offer will actually influence prices. The example of Trenitalia on the Paris-Lyon and Paris-Marseille routes since 2022 shows that the arrival of a competitor can effectively drive down fares in certain niches.
But while the arrival of a new player may stimulate competition, it does not make the sector's structural constraints disappear, such as the cost of network access or the saturation of infrastructures at peak times.
Although no precise position on dynamic pricing has been announced, it would be surprising for Velvet to do without it. This type of mechanism, already widely used in the rail and air industries, remains a key lever for optimizing train occupancy.
First Avelia Horizon - © Velvet
Behind the question of price, there is also the issue of load factor. To achieve economic equilibrium, Velvet will have to gradually seek out different passenger profiles. This could involve segmented offers or more innovative distribution formats, although few details have been given at this stage.
The company acknowledges that this ramp-up will take time. As with any new entrant, it will take several years to achieve sufficient load factors and stabilize the business model.
And on the distribution side, Velvet has a clear strategy: to be present on as many booking platforms as possible, to make its trains accessible to as many people as possible. This is a key challenge for a new entrant, who needs to make a name for itself and fill its trains quickly.
In the field, Velvet also emphasizes its determination to establish a long-term presence in the areas it will serve, a key factor in the opening up to competition.
The arrival of Velvet could help improve access to trains on certain busy lines. More seats means potentially fewer passengers left on the platform, a more diversified offer, and welcome pressure on prices at peak times. For regular travellers between Paris and the Atlantic coast, this is a concrete and immediate prospect.
This promise is also reflected in the company's local presence. The company plans to recruit in all the regions it serves, with a target of around 300 employees by 2028. It's a way of making its mark on the French rail landscape beyond the lines it operates.
But it would probably be an exaggeration to see this as an immediate transformation of the rail system. Infrastructure constraints remain the same: high-speed lines are shared, path capacity is limited, and Paris stations are already saturated at peak times. Velvet will run on the same tracks as Inoui TGVs, with the same network access rules.
Velvet is therefore a dynamic of evolution rather than rupture But that doesn't mean it's not good news for travelers.
With the launch of the first Velvet train in La Rochelle, the company has entered a decisive phase. Technical tests, approval by the EPSF (Établissement Public de Sécurité Ferroviaire), industrialization of the 12 trainsets ordered and preparations for operation will now set the pace for the next few years, right up to commissioning.
The real test will begin with the first commercial trains on the Paris-Bordeaux route, followed by a further gradual expansion of the network in line with deliveries. A phased launch, in contrast to the sometimes instantaneous image that the arrival of a new operator can give.
To achieve this, Velvet has set itself three key objectives: to keep to the industrial schedule, to build a travel experience that lives up to expectations, and to successfully establish itself in the local area. These three challenges alone sum up the scope of the project.
Between now and then, the project will still have time to evolve. But one thing is certain: the French railway landscape is changing. And this time, the change is no longer limited to an announcement. It takes the form of a real train, rolling out of a real factory in La Rochelle.
Rachel Picard and Timothy Jackson, co-founders of Velvet - © Velvet
Velvet is unlikely to revolutionize French railways overnight. But with this first trainset out of the factory, the project has definitely left the realm of intentions and entered the realm of reality.
In a system under strain, where demand already outstrips supply, every extra seat counts. And in this respect, the arrival of Velvet could make a real difference for passengers, especially on the busiest routes.
But rail is more than just adding up the number of trains. It relies on complex balances between profitability, accessibility and regional development. The opening up to competition, of which Velvet is a new illustration (after Trenitalia on the Mediterranean axis), could reshuffle certain cards.
From now until 2028, we'll have to keep a close eye on what happens next. More than just another promise, Velvet poses a simple question: what should the train of tomorrow look like?
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
