France’s first battery-powered regional train entered service on Monday, August 31, running between Nîmes and Vauvert in the Gard department. The Occitanie region, SNCF, and Alstom will test the train for two years on a 21-kilometer line. Engineers replaced diesel engines with 16 lithium-ion batteries, which recharge under overhead lines and recover energy from braking.
Alstom says the system reduces energy consumption by 20 percent. The train has a range of 80 kilometers, nearly double the round-trip distance. For drivers, little has changed. A project manager said they modified a few screens, including one showing battery levels. Drivers must now check the train has enough energy.
Alstom’s vice president called the launch “an important step for rail transport.” The train emits no CO2, no fine particles, and is quieter. But it must be adopted by users and prove itself. A project manager noted this is a first-generation battery system, and everyone must get used to it.
Five regions committed 30 million euros to the project, with SNCF contributing 6 million and Alstom 5.5 million. Two similar projects are planned between Avignon and Carpentras, and between Bordeaux and Mont-de-Marsan. In Occitanie, a hybrid trimodal train launched in 2023, and a hydrogen train is expected in 2027.
Reference
Le Monde, “Dans le Gard, le premier TER à batteries de France prend son élan,” published September 1, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/09/01/dans-le-gard-le-premier-ter-a-batteries-de-france-prend-son-elan_6763499_3234.html