France unveils next-generation fast train

February 05, 2008

French engineering giant Alstom, creator of the high-speed TGV train, unveiled Tuesday a new-generation, super-fast prototype: quicker, cleaner, bigger -- and tailored specially for export. President Nicolas Sarkozy helped cut the ribbon on the AGV, which stands for Automotice Grande Vitesse, or High-Speed Railcar -- a bullet-train designed with a cruise speed of up to 360 kilometres per hour (210 mph).