Alstom launches first battery-powered regional trains in Occitanie and Sud Region on Nîmes–Vauvert and Avignon–Carpentras; 80 km range, no direct CO2 emissions
Alstom celebrates the commissioning of the first two battery-powered regional trains in France | Alstom
Alstom celebrates the commissioning of the first two battery-powered regional trains in France
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The first battery-powered regional rain to enter service in Occitanie, photographed on 31 August 2026 at Nîmes-Centre station (Copyright: Fabienne Boccard – Alstom S.A. 2026)
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On Monday 31 August, Occitanie’s first battery-powered train entered commercial service on the Nîmes–Vauvert line
Since 28 July, the Sud Region first battery-powered train has been operating on the Avignon–Carpentras line
These two launches form part of a national program involving five French regions (Occitanie, the Sud region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine), as well as SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom
1 September 2026 – Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, celebrates the entry into service of the first two battery-powered regional trains (TER) in France, as part of a 41-million-euro national program funded by five regions (Occitanie, the Sud Region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine), SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom.
“Together with Occitanie, the Sud Region and SNCF Voyageurs, we are taking a significant step forward in the development of more sustainable rail solutions.”
The Occitanie Region’s battery-powered train is in service on the Nîmes–Vauvert line
On Monday 31 August, Jean-Luc Gibelin, Vice-President of the Occitanie Region responsible for Mobility and Transport Infrastructure, representing Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region, Gaël Barbier, Regional Director of SNCF Voyageurs Occitanie, and Olivier Delecroix, Vice-President in charge of Marketing and Sales at Alstom France, attended the launch of Occitanie’s first battery-powered train on the Nîmes–Vauvert line.
This prototype liO train marks a new stage in the efforts of the Region and its partners to decarbonise transportation, develop solutions tailored to non-electrified lines and strengthen rail transport provision across the region.
With this trial, Occitanie is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation and the energy transition. Already involved in trialling a trimode (electric, diesel, battery) Régiolis hybrid train on the Toulouse rail network and soon to be equipped with hydrogen-powered Régiolis trains on the Montréjeau–Luchon line, the Occitanie Region is the first region in France to trial three technologies aimed at reducing the use of diesel in rail transport: hybrid, battery and hydrogen.
The Sud Region battery-powered train is in service on the Avignon–Carpentras line
Since 28 July 2026, the Sud Region first battery-powered regional train has been operating commercially on the line between Avignon and Carpentras.
Operated by SNCF Voyageurs TER Sud, this train runs on electric power on sections of the line equipped with overhead lines, then switches to battery power at Sorgues station to run on its batteries as far as Carpentras, on the non-electrified section of the line.
Committed to ever more sustainable mobility, the Sud Region is continuing its strategy for the ecological transformation of regional rail transport by investing in innovative solutions. The introduction of this battery-powered train marks a new step in this ambition by providing a concrete response to the challenges of decarbonising lines that are not fully electrified.
The first two 100% battery-powered TER trains operating in France
These two launches form part of a national program involving five regions (Occitanie, Sud Region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine), SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom, which aims to trial the first generation of battery-powered rolling stock on a national scale. These first two trains in service are intended to test the performance of this technology under real operating conditions and to identify the conditions for its deployment on non-electrified regional lines.
More energy-efficient than previous rolling stock and with no direct CO2 emissions, these trains offer a complementary solution to take the decarbonisation of rail transport – already one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport – a step further.
Created by converting two existing high-capacity railcars (AGC), the battery-powered regional trains brought into service in Occitanie and in the Sud region have been fitted with lithium-ion batteries to replace their diesel engines, offering a range of over 80 kilometres. Energy generated during braking is also recovered and stored in the batteries, enabling energy savings of up to 20 per cent. This development also offers passengers greater comfort on board thanks to a quieter train.
This programme to develop battery-powered regional trains represents a total investment of over 41 million euro:
30 million euro provided by the five partner regions,
6 million euro from SNCF Voyageurs
and 5.5 million euro by Alstom.
Partners firmly committed to decarbonising rail transport
“Together with Occitanie, the Sud Region and SNCF Voyageurs, we are taking a significant step forward in the development of more sustainable rail solutions. These two battery-powered regional trains demonstrate that it is possible to transform and modernise existing rolling stock to reduce its environmental footprint, whilst meeting passengers’ mobility needs. This innovation provides a concrete example of how the rail sector can continue its transition towards ever more efficient and energy-efficient transport,” said Frédéric Wiscart, President of the France BeLux region at Alstom.
“In the Occitanie Region, we have chosen rail and we are committed to innovation. This battery-powered liO train is further proof of this: alongside our partners, we are experimenting, investing and preparing today for the railway of tomorrow. With hybrid, battery-powered and soon, hydrogen-powered trains, Occitanie is the only French region to be testing three technologies to reduce the use of diesel in our regional trains. And this innovation goes hand in hand with a very concrete ambition: to develop the public rail service. On the Nîmes–Vauvert line, this new train will therefore increase the service with two additional return journeys on weekdays. Cleaner, more comfortable and more frequent transport for everyday life: that is the train of tomorrow!” said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region.
“SNCF Voyageurs is proud to support the Occitanie Region in realising its ambitions for more frequent and sustainable regional transport. Together with the Region and Alstom, we are today putting France’s first battery-powered train into service in Occitanie. On the non-electrified section of the Nîmes–Vauvert line, this innovation will enable trains to run without using diesel and therefore without emitting CO2. The introduction of two additional return journeys by the Occitanie Region as part of this trial supports the tremendous growth in liO train traffic resulting from our partnership, which benefits both passengers and the different regions of Occitanie,” said Gaël Barbier, Regional Director of SNCF Voyageurs TER Occitanie.
“With this first battery-powered train, the Sud Region is turning innovation into a reality for the benefit of passengers and our regions. We are tangibly reducing CO2 emissions whilst maintaining the same quality of service. It is a practical, more efficient and quieter solution for building the regional train of the future,” said Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Sud) Region and Deputy President of Régions de France.
“With this first battery-powered train now in service in the Sud Region, we are demonstrating that innovation is a practical means of accelerating the rail sector’s green transition. This project, carried out in partnership with the Sud Region and Alstom, illustrates the SNCF Group’s ability to advance technologies in the service of more sustainable mobility, without compromising on the quality of service offered to passengers. By putting this train into commercial service today, we are paving the way for the railways of tomorrow: a public transport system that is ever more efficient, lower in carbon emissions and better tailored to the needs of local communities,” said Delphine Couzi, Regional Director of SNCF Voyageurs Sud and Regional Coordinator of the SNCF Group.
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President of the France BeLux region at Alstom