Autorail à grande capacité

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B 81500-series train at the Gare de Bercy, Paris, France

The Autorail à Grande Capacité (literally, high-capacity railcar) is a category of multiple-unit trains built by the Canadian train manufacturer Bombardier for the French rail operator SNCF.

The series consists of 3 models:

X 76500: diesel variant, also designated XGC
Z 27500: electric variant capable of running on both 1.5 kV DC and 25 kV 50 Hz AC, also designated ZGC
B 81500: dual-mode variant, capable of running on both diesel (by means of a diesel-electric engine) and 1.5 kV DC (by means of a pantograph), also designated BGC
B 82500: dual-mode variant, capable of running on both diesel (by means of a diesel-electric motor) and 1.5 kV DC/25 kV AC (by means of a pantograph), also designated BGC; these trains are identical to the B 81500-series except for their capability of operating on AC power.

The modularity of these trains permits each railroad (or region) to choose the number of units – currently 3 or 4 – that make up the train, as well as the interior layout of the cars (e.g. lounge car, first class, etc.). Trains can also be made up of mixed units, i.e. a train can be made up from both BGC and ZGC units. Basse-Normandie and Lorraine regions have also ordered sets that consist of both diesel and electric units (i.e XGC and ZGC). A two-unit variant has never been ordered; the B 82500 is only available in a four-unit version.

The first car delivered was a B 81500, numbered B 81501, and was put into service on February 6, 2004 for TER Midi-Pyrénées service. The 200th trainset was put into service November 20, 2006 on the TER Haute-Normandie. The first B 82500 unit was delivered February 2007 and entered into service on the TER Champagne Ardenne on May 15, 2007.