TGV M to Welcome Its First Passengers in Early September 2026


TGV M : un début des opérations commerciales prévu en septembre 2026 - Crédit photo : SNCF Voyageurs

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Il devait, à l’instar du CDG Express, débuter son exploitation pour les JO de Paris. Finalement, les usagers français auront attendu deux années supplémentaires.

En effet, le TGV M vient de franchir sa dernière étape avant sa mise en circulation à grande échelle. La livraison des rames à la SNCF débutera dès le début de l’été.



Il a obtenu l’autorisation de mise sur le marché délivrée par l’ERA, l’Agence de l’Union européenne pour les chemins de fer.

Cette étape cruciale permet de vérifier que le matériel répond aux “exigences de sécurité et d’interopérabilité”.

“La qualité du travail préparatoire et la coopération des parties prenantes ont contribué à la bonne progression de l’évaluation, marquant un des derniers jalons vers l’entrée en service du train
“, selon le communiqué de l’opérateur.

Désormais, la SNCF et Alstom, le constructeur, vont pouvoir accélérer la mise en place de ce train de nouvelle génération.


TGV M: Commercial operations slated to begin in September 2026

Thus, the delivery of the first two sets destined for operation is planned for June 2026. Four more will follow by the end of August and, in total, the carrier will have 13 sets by the end of 2026.



For train enthusiasts, you will still have to wait a few more weeks before hoping to boards this new rolling stock.

A phase of testing and adjustments in real-world conditions is essential before welcoming the first passengers.

SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom have chosen to strengthen the commissioning arrangements by planning a several-week pre-commercial run of the first sets on the national network.

This exceptional step will mobilize hundreds of teams from the two companies in order to check every detail of the onboard experience, support the adoption of the train by the operational teams and finalize the last adjustments before welcoming the first TGV INOUI travelers
“, explains the press release.

To read : SNCF: what does the TGV M look like, which will run in 2026?

While commercial operations were scheduled for July 1, 2026, according to the latest postponement, they will not take place before early September.

For reminder, the TGV M is a 100 % French-designed train in its conception and built from 97 % of recyclable materials. It will feature 740 seats in its maximum configuration, i.e., 20 % more seats.

SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar have ordered 160 train sets.

Barcelona No Longer Welcomes Cruise Passengers in Transit


Barcelone souhaite relever dès 2027 la taxe touristique appliquée aux croisiéristes de transit afin d’atteindre un total de 14 euros par passager @Deposit-Photios - Photo by fotoall

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Barcelona presses its strategy against overtourism… and now clearly targets transit cruises. In an interview granted to the local channel betevé, Mayor Jaume Collboni stated his aim to reduce to zero the number of cruise passengers who spend only a few hours in the city before returning to sea.

The socialist mayor now distinguishes two modelss: cruises that use Barcelona as the home port—with passengers who stay in hotels, fly in, or spend more on site, something Marseille hopes to develop—and ships making a simple port of call, accused of crowding public spaces without generating enough local economic benefits.

« Transit cruises make intensive use of public space without generating revenue », he said. To discourage this traffic, the municipality plans to sharply increase the taxation applied to short-stop passengers.


1.7 million transit cruise passengers in 2025

According to details provided by betevé, Barcelona aims to raise from 2027 the tourist tax levied on transit cruise passengers to a total of 14 euros per passenger. This amount would include the Catalan regional tax and the municipal surcharge. The additional revenue would be used in particular to fund public services and infrastructure used by visitors.

This new push fits into a broader strategy pursued by Barcelona to curb overtourism. The city and the port had already announced an agreement to reduce the number of cruise terminals from seven to five. The municipality also plans to phase out tourist apartments by 2028.

The issue remains particularly sensitive in Spain, where cruises represent a major economic engine. According to figures cited recently by the municipality, Barcelona hosted nearly four million cruise passengers in 2025, including about 1.7 million transit cruise passengers.