Railway start-up Kevin Speed announced on Thursday the signing of a framework agreement with SNCF Réseau to operate low-cost trains between Paris, Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg from 2028. Kevin Speed has ordered 20 trains from High Speed. To manufacturer Alstom, all of which should be delivered by 2028, with tests starting in 2026, the marketing start date of their offerings.
“The more we travel, the less we pay,” asserted the start-up’s president, Laurent Fortune, promising an offer with a price reduction when the customer buys a ticket. “With the attack prices we have planned, our trains will be full,” he added.
16 daily routes
A flagship offer called “Illisto” starts at €3 per 100km off-peak for trains to Strasbourg and Lille and €5 per 100km off-peak to Lyon.
Kevin Speed promises 16 passages per day in both directions, from 6am to 10pm:
- For the Northern Line at Lille Flandres, TGV Haute-Picardie, Paris Gare du Nord stations;
- For the eastern line: Strasbourg-Lorraine TGV, Meuse TGV1, Champagne-Ardenne TGV, Paris Gare de l’Est;
- and for the Central Line: Lyon Part-Dieu, Macon-Loche TGV, Le Creusot-Montseau-Montchenin TGV, Paris Gare de Lyon.
Kevin Speed estimates the required investment of one billion euros for 20 trainsets, future workshops and train driver training, according to Laurent Fortune, who hopes to raise funds by this summer.
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