In my country the cost of train tickets regularly exceeds the average speed of the trains. So I get unreasonably excited by announcements like this: a 360 kilometre per hour train has been unveiled in France.

France is already the one country that can give Japan a run for its money in the train stakes so this new machine could make travelling in Europe even more pleasant. The first customer for this new machine though is not France at all but in Italy (press release).

Of course you are obliged to nod to climate change in any transport story these days so the train’s manufacturer Alstom says the new rolling stock uses 15% lower energy consumption than its main competitors. If it runs in France it will be running on nuclear electricity anyway.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the Automotrice Grande Vitesse (AGV) train is a sign that science is vital for a country’s economy.

“That we are here today is testimony to the courage of Alstom, because during its worst period it decided not to sacrifice its research and development. … We need to entrench a simple message in people’s minds: industry is not over, industry is essential for the economy of a rich nation as much as an emerging nation,” he said at the launch (eg: BBC).

According to AFP a supercharged version of current high-speed French train the TGV holds the world speed record for a train on rails: 574.8 kilometres per hour. However the current cruising speed of the TGV is 320 kph, meaning the new AGV is something of a step up.

French press coverage

Alstom dévoile le successeur du TGV – L’Express

Alstom dévoile l’AGV, le nouveau train à grande vitesse français – AFP (in French)

Alstom mise sur l’automotrice à grande vitesse pour remplacer le TGV – Le Monde