A TER

The A TER, also written A-TER, is a family of diesel multiple unit trains built by Alstom for regional passenger services. 377 units were produced between 1999 and 2004 in three classes: the SNCF Class X 73500, the SNCF Class X 73900, and the German Deutsche Bahn Class 641. The units were ordered jointly by the French national railway SNCF for its TER regional services and by Deutsche Bahn, which is why the same basic design runs in both countries. They are single-unit railcars with a low-floor section, wide doors for passengers with restricted mobility, air conditioning, a reinforced cab area to reduce crash damage and passenger information systems inside and outside the train. Two MAN engines give the Class X 73500 a top speed of 140 kilometres per hour. Several units can be coupled in a group of up to three sets, although passengers cannot walk between the coupled units. The trains work mostly on rural, unelectrified lines in every French TER region except Ile-de-France, Corsica and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur.