AGV

AGV is a high speed train designed by Alstom and operated by the private Italian company NTV as ”.Italo” since April 2012.

AGV stands for Automotrice à Grande Vitesse (literally “high speed multiple unit”). Unlike TGV series, which were built by both Alstom (French train maker) and SNCF (French national transportation company), AGV has been designed only by Alstom. It's the first train having both articulated structure (like TGV) and distributed motorization along the train (whereas TGV has two locos at each end) to be operated. Besides, these two characteristics were already present on the prototype TGV 001, fourty years earlier. Therefore, the space gained is used so as to carry more passengers. AGV also uses synchronous engines with permanent magnets, having an attractive power/weight ratio, making the train lighter than TGV. Energy consumption and maintenance costs are reduced as well.

In November 2008, Alstom announces there will be double-deck AGVs.

Alstom proposes trainsets composed of seven to fourteen vehicles, NTV's .Italo are composed of eleven vehicles.

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