Here Are the New Seats for TGV Inoui 2025

The future trains of the modernized TGV Inoui 100% will feature updated colors and ergonomics to provide passengers with greater comfort.

The TGV will undergo a transformation in the next two years with the arrival of a brand-new generation (the 5th in its history) of High-Speed Train. The Alstom M Project is now on track, and SNCF has ordered 115 new trains, with deliveries scheduled over 10 years. The first trains, more energy-efficient (-20%), more aerodynamic and quieter, as well as less complex technically and therefore more economical to operate, will enter service starting in 2025 on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille line, the busiest in Europe.

Second-class seats will feature a blue gradient.

One of the key focuses of the Alstom teams has been improving onboard life, especially as trains are expected to regain popularity over planes, which are too polluting. To meet this goal, they enhanced comfort and connectivity, primarily with reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi accessible to all 740 passengers per train (compared to 634 with current trains). Bicycle storage areas have also been added.

Similar to airplanes, seats appear thinner and thus lighter, which should reduce the overall weight of each train car. This detail is far from insignificant for energy consumption. The increased thinness may also improve legroom, without turning the train into a luxury Pullman. Additionally, 97% of components will be recyclable, resulting in a 37% reduction in the carbon footprint of each train compared to older models.

Second Class Seats:

Adjustable headrest in height
Individual power outlets
A mini-tablet, phone holder, with a “pocket-emptying” function
A reading light positioned above the tablet for multiple uses, not just reading
More knee space, with an additional 5cm

In First Class, the red remains the dominant color. Headrests will include individual lighting.

First Class Seats:

Wraparound, height-adjustable headrest
Wider seat by 5cm for more comfort in movement and space to place a few personal belongings nearby
A full armrest on the aisle side, providing a sense of protection and preventing personal items from falling
Electrically reclining seat, more spacious, smoothly and quietly
The “secretarial” style tablet for accessing all storage options

Extra attention was given to the seat’s comfort. The innovative foam provides twice the softness of older TGV seats, with a better sinking effect that mimics the “spring” effect of existing first-generation TGV seats. The seat covering, a 3D knit mostly composed of natural fibers, creates a “hammock effect” that molds to the back and adjusts to all body types.

To achieve maximum comfort, multiple seat prototypes were developed and tested by posture specialists and, most importantly, by 125 customers with different body shapes. During these two-hour sessions, participants simulated onboard activities—sleeping, reading, working—using the posture that felt most natural to them.

One aspect SNCF has not announced: will prices finally decrease?