New High-Speed Train Introduced In France

"French President Nicolas Sarkozy has attended the launch of a new high-speed train made by engineering giant Alstom.
The AGV (Automotrice Grande Vitesse) train will travel at up to 360km/h (224mph), powered by motors placed under each carriage, the company says."

"The absence of locomotives at either end allows it to carry more passengers."

"Alstom compares the AGV - successor to the TGV - to the world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, in terms of importance and innovation."

"The new AGV trains are set to travel 1,000km (600 miles) in three hours, which is 'a new stage in the competition with the airlines', said Alstom's Executive Chairman, Patrick Kron, at the ceremony."