New TGV train arrives in Czech Republic for testing

Czech media said the Avelia Horizon train would spend "several months" on a circuit east of Prague, run by the Czech Railway Research Institute.

The Institute itself said it was "honoured" to arrange the testing but declined to offer details.

The French national railway operator SNCF expects the double-decker train, presented in France in September, to run between Paris, Lyon and Marseille from late 2024.

Carrying up to 740 passengers, the 202-metre-long train introduced in September can travel at up to 320 kilometres (200 miles) per hour.

SNCF has ordered 115 Avelia Horizon trains worth $3.5 billion, with 100 expected to serve on domestic railways and 15 in international transport.

Alstom has used the Czech circuit, allowing speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour, several times, including in 2008 when it tested its AGV trains for the Italian transport company Italo there.