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72-595: The TGV Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and operated the first TGV service from Paris to Lyon in 1981. Formerly there were 107 passenger sets operating, of which nine were tri-current (25 kV 50-60 Hz AC - French lignes à grande vitesse , 1500 V DC - French lignes classiques , 15 kV 16 + 2 ⁄ 3 Hz AC - Switzerland ) and the rest bi-current (25 kV 50–60 Hz AC, 1500 V DC). There were also five, later seven, bi-current half-sets - TGV La Poste - without seats which carried mail for La Poste between Paris, Lyon and Avignon . These were painted in

144-433: A swingnose crossing ( coeur à pointe mobile or 'moveable point frog'), which eliminates the gap in rail support that causes shock and vibration as wheels of a train pass over the 'frog' of conventional points. Eliminating these gaps makes the passage of a TGV over LGV switches imperceptible to passengers, reduces stresses on wheels and track, and permits much higher speeds, 160 km/h (99 mph). At junctions, such as

216-435: A 5 m (16 ft)-wide area has been reserved for a telecommunication artery. The line has a surface area of 16 km (6.2 sq mi) – in comparison Charles de Gaulle Airport occupies 32 km (12 sq mi) – with an average width of 40 m (130 ft). Platforms are 13 m (43 ft) wide, with a space between track centres of 4.2 m (14 ft). The line

288-828: A few key differences from normal railway lines. The radii of curves are larger so that trains can traverse them at higher speeds without increasing the centripetal acceleration felt by passengers. The radii of LGV curves have historically been greater than 4 km (2.5 mi): new lines have minimum radii of 7 km (4.3 mi) to allow for future increases in speed. LGVs can incorporate steeper gradients than normal. This facilitates planning and reduces their cost of construction. The high power/weight and adhesive weight/total weight ratios of TGVs allow them to climb much steeper grades than conventional trains. The considerable momentum at high speeds also helps to climb these slopes very quickly without greatly increasing energy consumption. The Paris-Sud-Est LGV has gradients of up to 3.5% (on

360-629: A final destination, or run significant distances from Paris without any stop before they serve a couple of stations. There is no Clock-face scheduling in the sense it is used in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands or Switzerland or for urban rail in France. For example, TGV from Paris to Bordeaux and beyond generally bypass Tours , while some stop at the station of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, a suburb of Tours. Other TGV serve only Paris to Tours, ending in

432-525: A hired postal set, numbered 951, was taken to London to advertise the Euro Carex project. In February 2013 the TGV Lyria sets (110 to 118), designed for services to Switzerland, were taken out of service. These were replaced by TGV POS sets. In December 2019, all TGV Sud-Est sets were retired from service. In early 2020, a farewell service was run using the first production TGV set built. This train

504-433: A marginal reduction in journey time. Nine sets were originally delivered as all first class. Set 88 was used as a test train for synchronous traction motors then subsequently rebuilt as a tri-voltage set and renumbered 118. Set 114 was sold to SBB in 1993 and a second set in 2005. In 1995, Set 38, one of the all first class sets, was converted to an extra postal set in addition to the existing 5 half-sets. In March 2012,

576-401: A metal strut. There are 1660 sleepers per kilometre. Traction power is supplied by eight EDF substations at 25 kV AC, 50 Hz . The catenary is fed by an inverted phase "feeder" cable, which is equivalent to a 50 kV supply and reinforces the available power, enabling a single trainset to draw up to 14 MW. Signalling relies on high-frequency track circuits that transmits signals directly to

648-524: A route 87 km (54 mi) shorter than the regular line, which is 512 km (318 mi) long. There are no tunnels. The line includes various connectors to the regular rail network: These last three are used by service trains or in order to divert passenger trains if needed. The line runs next to the A5 autoroute for 60 km (37 mi) and the N79 road for 15 km (9.3 mi). For its full length,

720-721: A section of classical track: LGV Interconnexion Est connects LGV Sud-Est to LGV Nord around Paris. In 2017 French President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan to "reassess" planned LGV construction, implying that many of the projects listed here will be delayed or not constructed at all. Contrary to this, the French government confirmed 5 new lines in late summer 2018. The table shows minimum travel times between cities with direct high-speed trains (note: certain cities are linked by high-speed trains which do not travel at high-speed, for example Bordeaux-Toulouse and Marseille-Nice). Most TGV operate more or less point to point from Paris to

792-548: A simple and inexpensive proposition, using existing intra-city tracks and stations built for conventional trains. LGV route designers have tended to build new intermediate stations in suburban areas or in the open countryside several kilometers away from cities. This allows TGVs to stop without incurring too great a time penalty, since more time is spent on high-speed track; in addition, many cities' stations are stub-ends, while LGVs frequently bypass cities. In some cases, stations have been built halfway between two communities, such as

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864-432: A steel bar. Heavy rail ( UIC 60) is used and the rails are more upright, with an inclination of 1 in 40 as opposed to 1 in 20 on normal lines. Use of continuously welded rails in place of shorter, jointed rails yields a comfortable ride at high speed, without the "clickety-clack" vibrations induced by rail joints. The points/ switches are different from those on the lignes Classique's . Every LGV set of points incorporates

936-502: A train's onboard computer to generate a continuous speed control curve in the event of an emergency brake activation, effectively forcing the driver to reduce speed safely without releasing the brake by displaying the Flashing Signal Aspects on the speedometer. When the flashing signal is displayed, the driver must apply the brake and target speed will be more constrained at the next block section. The signalling system

1008-403: A yellow triangle. Dashboard instruments show the maximum permitted speed for the current block and a target speed based on the profile of the line ahead. The speeds are based on factors such as the proximity of trains ahead (with steadily decreasing speeds permitted in blocks closer to the rear of the next train), junction placement, speed restrictions, the top speed of the train and distance from

1080-461: Is 17 t, imposed to prevent heavy rolling stock from prematurely damaging the very accurate track alignment ('surface') required for high-speed operation. Conventional trains hauled by locomotives are generally not allowed, since the axle load of a typical European electric locomotive exceeds 20 t. The only freight trains that are generally permitted are mail trains run by the French postal service, using specially adapted TGV rolling stock. TGV power cars,

1152-508: Is a French high-speed rail line which connects the Paris and Lyon areas. It was France's first high-speed rail line, it has also been the most widely used line in France as well as being the busiest high-speed line in Europe. Construction of LGV Sud-Est commended in 1976, although development of the associated technologies was underway for over a decade prior. Several key decisions, such as

1224-529: Is also used by Eurostar, Thalys, Deutsche Bahn, Trenitalia France, RENFE, and the Swiss Federal Railways. The newest high-speed lines allow speeds of 320 km/h (199 mph) in normal operation: originally LGVs were defined as lines permitting speeds greater than 200 km/h (124 mph), revised to 250 km/h (155 mph). Like most high-speed trains in Europe, TGVs also run on conventional tracks (French: lignes classiques ), at

1296-406: Is compatible with the regular rail network, avoiding the need for new infrastructure construction to reach existing train stations in the dense urban areas of Paris and Lyon. The distance from Paris ( Gare de Lyon ) to Lyon ( Part-Dieu ) is 425 km (264 mi). The LGV route is 409 km (254 mi) long; by avoiding built-up areas between Paris and Lyon (particularly Dijon ) this enables

1368-667: Is equipped with European Train Control System Level 2 signalling together with TVM-430. It is equipped with GSM-R radio communications, one component of the European Rail Traffic Management System : the communications-based ETCS Level 2 signalling system is the other component, which makes use of the radio network. Trains can operate using either signalling system. Domestic TGVs use TVM-430, while TGV POS trainsets that operate into Germany use ETCS Level 2. ETCS Level 2 and TVM-430 use

1440-408: Is normally permissive: the driver of a train is permitted to proceed into an occupied block section without first obtaining authorisation. Speed is limited to 30 km/h (19 mph), and if it exceeds 35 km/h (22 mph) the emergency brake is applied. If the board marking the entrance to the block section is accompanied by a sign marked Nf, non-franchissable (non-passable) the block section

1512-486: Is not permissive, and the driver must obtain authorisation from the PAR, "Poste d'Aiguillage et de Régulation" (Signalling and Control Centre), before entering. Once a route is set or the PAR has provided authorisation, a white lamp above the board is lit to inform the driver. The driver acknowledges the authorisation by a button on the control panel. This disables the emergency braking, which would otherwise occur when passing over

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1584-473: Is that line capacity is sharply reduced when trains of differing speeds are mixed, as the interval between two trains then needs to be large enough that the faster one cannot over-take the slower one between two passing loops. Passing freight and passenger trains also constitute a safety risk, as cargo on freight cars could be destabilised by the air turbulence caused by the TGV. The permitted axle load on LGV lines

1656-520: Is the time taken by a Eurotunnel shuttle train (maximum speed 140 km/h (87 mph)) to traverse the tunnel. A single Eurostar running at 160 km/h (99 mph) occupies 2.67 standard paths; a second Eurostar running 3 minutes behind the first "costs" only a single additional path, so Eurostar services are often flighted 3 minutes apart between London and Lille. A freight train running at 120 km/h (75 mph) occupies 1.33 paths, at 100 km/h (62 mph) 3 paths. This illustrates

1728-504: Is typically performed at night wherever possible to impact a minimal amount of traffic. Between 2020 and 2023, a comprehensive modernisation of the line was performed at a cost of 300 million euros; it was part of a wider programme of works aimed at increasing both traffic and regularity on key parts of France's LGV network. High-speed rail in France France has a large network of high-speed rail lines. As of June 2021,

1800-1169: The LGV Est since 2007. It uses ICE Velaro D trainsets. Renfe operates on the LGV Rhône-Alpes , the LGV Méditerranée and the LGV Perpignan–Figueres since 2023, using AVE Class 100 trainsets. Trenitalia France , a subsidiary of Trenitalia , operates on the LGV Sud-Est since 2021 with services from Paris Gare de Lyon to Milano Centrale with stops in Lyon-Part-Dieu , Chambéry , Modane and Torino Porta Susa . It uses Frecciarossa 1000 trainsets. In June 2021 there were approximately 2,800 km (1,740 mi) of Lignes à Grande Vitesse (LGV), with four additional line sections under construction. The current lines and those under construction can be grouped into four routes radiating from Paris and one that currently only connects to Paris through

1872-686: The LGV Interconnexion Est since 1996, with services from Paris-Nord, Marne-la-Vallée, Lille-Europe, Calais-Fréthun and Brussels (Belgium) to the UK. Seasonal services to the French Alps and to the south of France use the LGV Sud-Est , the LGV Rhône-Alpes and the LGV Méditerranée . It uses Eurostar e300 and e320 as well as TGV PBA and PBKA trainsets. As part of their service cooperation with SNCF Voyageurs between France and Germany (formerly named Alleo), Deutsche Bahn operates on

1944-660: The TGV 2N2 "Euroduplex", in 2011. Lyria , a joint-company between SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways , operates on the LGV Sud-Est since 1993, the LGV Rhin-Rhône since 2011, the LGV Nord , the LGV Rhône-Alpes and the LGV Méditerranée since 2012. It did operate on the LGV Est between 2007 and 2011. TGV 2N2 are used by Lyria on these lines. Eurostar operates on the LGV Nord since 1994, and on

2016-490: The Dutch HSL-Zuid and British High Speed 1 planned to carry 200 and 225 km/h (124 and 140 mph) domestic intercity services respectively and 300 km/h (186 mph) international services. The Channel Tunnel is not an LGV, but it uses LGV-type TVM signalling for mixed freight, shuttle and Eurostar traffic at between 100 and 160 km/h (60 and 100 mph). The standard pathway for allocation purposes

2088-487: The French high-speed rail network comprises 2,800 km (1,740 mi) of tracks, making it one of the largest in Europe and the world. As of early 2023, new lines are being constructed or planned. The first French high-speed railway, the LGV Sud-Est , linking the suburbs of Paris and Lyon , opened in 1981 and was at that time the only high-speed rail line in Europe . In addition to serving destinations across France,

2160-547: The German NBS high-speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt they reach 4%). On a high-speed line it is possible to have greater superelevation (cant), since all trains are travelling at the same (high) speed and a train stopping on a curve is a very rare event. Curve radii in high-speed lines have to be large, but increasing the superelevation allows for tighter curves while supporting the same train speed. Allowance for tighter curves can reduce construction costs by reducing

2232-623: The LGV Mediterranée. The British High Speed 1 from the Channel Tunnel to London has been built with passing loops to support freight use, but this facility is used infrequently. Maintenance on LGVs is carried out at night, when no TGVs are running. Outside France, LGV-type lines often carry non-TGV intercity traffic, often as a requirement of the initial funding commitments. The Belgian LGV from Brussels to Liège carries 200 km/h (124 mph) loco-hauled trains, with both

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2304-469: The LGV at the respective exit. Some cities are mostly served by TGVs through so called "beetroot stations" (named after Haute Picardie TGV which was surrounded by sugar beet fields at the time it opened) well outside the built up area but conveniently located along the existing LGV. All this speeds up travel time between Paris and the respective final destinations and probably avoids a lower use of capacity at

2376-563: The Mediterranean with Lille, Marseilles with Rennes and Bordeaux with Strasbourg. (All examples from 2021 timetable.) This approach is quite different from the operational scheme of ICE in Germany: German ICE lines usually connect major final stations like Cologne/Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Basel every hour with a couple of intermediate stops, except for trains that would depart too early or arrive too late at

2448-618: The central station of Tours. Even Lyon (with a population of 1.4 million people in the Métropole de Lyon ) is bypassed by many TGV on their way to the Mediterranean , which rather have a first stop at Avignon TGV or even Marseille, or at Valence TGV for trains to Montpellier. On the other hand, most trains that link Paris with Lyon end at Lyon Perrache station and their majority runs non-stop. LGV bypasses of most cities support this scheme, so that only trains destined to these towns leave

2520-435: The distinctive La Poste yellow livery. Each set was made up of two power cars and eight carriages (capacity 345 seats), including a powered bogie in each of the carriages adjacent to the power cars. They were 200 m (656 ft 2 in) long and 2.904 m (9 ft 6.3 in) wide. They weighed 385 tonnes (379 long tons ; 424 short tons ) with a power output of 6,450 kW (8,650 hp) under 25 kV. When

2592-539: The door on the bistro coach. Originally the sets were built to run at 270 km/h (168 mph) but most were upgraded to 300 km/h (186 mph) during their mid-life refurbishment in preparation for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée . The few sets which still have a maximum speed of 270 km/h (168 mph) operate on routes which have a comparatively short distance on the lignes à grande vitesse , such as those to Switzerland via Dijon . SNCF did not consider it financially worthwhile to upgrade their speed for

2664-404: The driver's console, known as Transmission Voie-Machine (TVM). Drivers are unable accurately identify traditional track-side railway signals positioned. While there are lineside marker boards indicating the limits of each block section, there no traditional signals as such. The TVM system is set to be replaced by the newer European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The highest point on

2736-401: The effectiveness of TGV services. The high rate of return generated by LGV Sud-Est quickly motivated the construction of other LGVs. Several of these have extended the reach of the high-speed trains that use LGV Sud-Est, such as the LGV Rhône-Alpes and LGV Méditerranée to the south and the LGV Interconnexion Est to the north; these connecting lines shortened journey times between Paris and

2808-504: The end of 1993 after 12 years of operational use; unlike several of France's later LGVs, no subsidies were used. The financial success of LGV Sud Est encouraged the French government commit further large financial contributions towards the construction of additional high speed lines. During the mid-to-late 1990s, the track of the LGV Sud-Est was renewed at a cost of FRF 2 billion, or about €300 million. Maintenance and renewal work

2880-505: The end of the LGV. As trains cannot usually stop within one signal block, which can range in length from a few hundred metres to a few kilometres, drivers are alerted to slow gradually several blocks before a required stop. Two versions, TVM-430 and TVM-300, are in use. TVM-430 was first installed on the LGV Nord to the Channel Tunnel and Belgium, and supplies trains with more information than TVM-300. Among other benefits, TVM-430 allows

2952-424: The estimated social benefits. Expectations for LGV Sud Est had included a minimum 12 percent financial rate of return; this was exceeded as a result of the line's high rate of usage, both in terms of traffic and revenue generation. The achieved financial rates of return, which have been estimated to have been between 15 percent and 30 percent per year in socioeconomic terms, permitted the LGV to be fully amortised by

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3024-420: The far end of train routes, beyond a significant intermediate destination. However, this results in less services between the towns apart from Paris, even if they are situated along the same LGV (e.g. Tours to Bordeaux or Lyon to Marseille), and thus also less suitable interconnections to and between secondary lines. A few TGV (or their Ouigo substitutes) also bypass Paris when connecting e.g. Bordeaux with Lille,

3096-474: The ground loop adjacent to the Nf board. When trains enter or leave LGVs they pass over a ground loop that automatically switches the driver's dashboard indicators to the appropriate signalling system. For example, a train leaving an LGV for a "ligne classique" has its TVM system deactivated and its traditional KVB "Contrôle de Vitesse par Balises" (beacon speed control) system enabled. The most recent LGV, LGV Est ,

3168-521: The high-speed rail system is also connected to the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. The SNCF, France's state-owned rail company, operates both a premium service ( TGV inOui ) and a budget service ( Ouigo ). The French national high-speed rail network follows the spoke-and-hub model , centered on Paris. Besides its main operator, the SNCF, it

3240-502: The ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train ), so the two power cars could be connected without a high voltage cable through passenger vehicles. The same applies when two TGVs run in multiple. On lignes classiques , slower maximum speeds prevent oscillation problems, and on DC lines both pantographs must be raised to draw sufficient current. LGVs are fenced to prevent trespassing by animals and people. Level crossings are not permitted and overbridges have sensors to detect objects that fall onto

3312-580: The junction on the TGV Atlantique where the line to Le Mans diverges from the line to Tours, special points designed for higher speeds are installed which permit a diverging speed of 574 km/h (357 mph). The diameter of tunnels is greater than normally required by the size of the trains, especially at entrances. This limits the effects of air pressure changes and noise pollution such as tunnel boom , which can be problematic at TGV speeds. LGVs are reserved primarily for TGVs. One reason for this

3384-418: The lightweight streamlined locomotives at both ends of TGV trainsets, are within the 17 t limit, but special design efforts were needed (a 'hunt for kilograms', chasse aux kilos ) to keep the mass of the double-deck TGV Duplex trains within the 17 t limit when they were introduced in the 1990s. The steep gradients common on LGVs would limit the weight of slow freight trains. Slower trains would also mean that

3456-509: The line is 489 m (1,604 ft) above sea level, near the town of Liernais, 55.5 km (34.5 mi) north of Gare du Creusot. This is near the range dividing the Seine and Loire river valleys, and not far from the Rhône river valley. The LGV Sud-Est serves the following stations: Le-Creusot and Mâcon-Loché are basic stations situated away from built-up areas. They have four tracks, with

3528-531: The line within its first ten months. As a result, domestic flights between Paris and Lyon declined substantially as the travelling public switched to using the TGV instead. By 2020, LGV Sud-Est was still reportedly the most widely used line in France as well as being the busiest high-speed line in Europe. The line carried a third of all railway traffic in France, including up to 300 TGVs per day, and carried 52 million passengers through 2019. The line crosses six departments , from north to south: The TGV system

3600-525: The maximum track cant (banking on curves) would be limited, so for the same maximum speed a mixed-traffic LGV would need to be built with curves of even larger radius. Such track would be much more expensive to build and maintain. Some stretches of less-used LGV are routinely mixed-traffic, such as the Tours branch of the LGV Atlantique and the currently under construction Nîmes/Montpellier branch of

3672-416: The most remarkable stations on the network, with a spectacular 340 m (1,115 ft 6 in)-long glazed roof that has been compared to that of a cathedral. SNCF Voyageurs is the main high-speed train operator in France, with its main brand TGV inOui , as well as its low-cost brand Ouigo Grande Vitesse . It uses a variety of TGV type trains, from the original TGV Sud-Est , introduced in 1981, to

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3744-566: The normal maximum speed for those lines, up to 220 km/h (137 mph). This allows them to reach secondary destinations or city centres without building new tracks all the way, reducing costs compared to the magnetic levitation train project in Japan, for example, or complete high-speed networks with a different gauge from the surrounding conventional networks, in Spain and Japan, for example. High-speed railway track construction in France has

3816-454: The number and/or length of tunnels or viaducts and the volume of earthworks. Track alignment is more precise than on normal railway lines, and ballast is in a deeper-than-normal profile , resulting in increased load-bearing capacity and track stability. LGV track is anchored by more sleepers/ ties per kilometre than normal, and all are made of concrete, either mono- or bi-bloc, the latter consisting of two separate blocks of concrete joined by

3888-471: The old terminus stations dating back to the 19th century, before the formation of SNCF. Therefore, most trips on the TGV which require a connection in Paris require passengers to travel from one terminus to the other via metro or taxi. This is unlike the situation in Germany with Berlin main station or Austria with Vienna main station (both built in the 21st century) serving virtually all high speed trains in

3960-554: The problem of mixed traffic at different speeds. LGVs are all electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC . Catenary wires are kept at a greater mechanical tension than normal lines because the pantograph causes oscillations in the wire, and the wave must travel faster than the train to avoid producing standing waves that would cause the wires to break. This was a problem when rail speed record attempts were made in 1990; tension had to be increased further still to accommodate train speeds of over 500 km/h (311 mph). On LGVs only

4032-400: The rails, providing speed, target speed, and stop/go indications directly to the driver via dashboard-mounted instruments. This high degree of automation does not eliminate driver control, though there are safeguards that can safely stop the train in the event of driver error. An LGV is divided into signal blocks of about 1500 m (≈1 mile) with the boundaries marked by blue boards with

4104-418: The rear pantograph is raised, avoiding amplification of the oscillations created by a front pantograph. The front power car is supplied by a cable along the roof of the train. Eurostar trains are long enough that oscillations are damped sufficiently between the front and rear power cars (British designers were wary of running a high-power line through passenger carriages, thus the centrally located power cars in

4176-468: The respective ends of the ICE line. To a lesser extent ICEs end or start in towns like Frankfurt, Bremen and Dresden. Large cities along the routes such as Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Essen, Dortmund, Hannover, Leipzig and Frankfurt and Bremen are served by almost all ICE that pass these towns, whereas bypasses for passenger traffic usually do not exist. The vast majority of TGVs serving Paris stop at one of

4248-632: The same block sections, but use different means (radio links for ETCS, and track-to-train transmission for TVM-430) to transmit signal information to trains. Since ERTMS is mandated for eventual adoption throughout the European Union, similar installations including ETCS signalling are expected on future LGVs. One of the main advantages of TGV over technologies such as magnetic levitation is that TGVs can use existing infrastructure at its lower design speed. This makes connecting city centre stations such as Paris- Gare de Lyon and Lyon-Perrache by TGV

4320-537: The sets received names, principally of French communes, towns and cities. The names were carried on the two non-driving motor cars at each end of the articulated rake. 3 Powercars of the TGV Sud-Est sets are preserved along with a cab end and one complete set Retired in December 2019 LGV Sud-Est The LGV Sud-Est (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse Sud-Est ; English: South East high-speed line)

4392-555: The southeast of France ( Marseille , Montpellier and Nice ), Switzerland and Italy , as well as between the southeast and the north and west of France, the United Kingdom and Belgium . The LGV Rhône-Alpes, Sud-Est and Méditerranée, taken as a whole, were also nicknamed the City To Coast (C2C) Highway ("Ville à la Mer"). Following the creation of SNCF 's research department in 1966, one of its primary endeavours

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4464-458: The station is now used by a reasonable number of people, especially impressive as it has no service to Paris (so not to extract passengers from Amiens station). This nickname is now applied to similar stations away from town and city centres, whether in the vicinity of beet fields or not. New railway stations have been built for TGVs, some of which are major architectural achievements. Avignon TGV station , opened in 2001, has been praised as one of

4536-450: The station serving Montceau-les-Mines and Le Creusot , and Haute Picardie station between Amiens and Saint-Quentin . The press and local authorities criticised Haute Picardie as being too far from either town to be convenient, and too far from connecting railway lines to be useful for travellers. The station was nicknamed la gare des betteraves ('beet station') as it was surrounded by sugar beet fields during construction. That said,

4608-446: The track. All LGV junctions are grade-separated , the tracks crossing each other using flyovers or tunnels, eliminating crossings on the level. Because TGVs on LGVs travel too fast for their drivers to see and react to traditional lineside signals , an automated system called TVM, " Transmission Voie-Machine " (track-to-train transmission) is used for signalling. Information is transmitted to trains by electrical pulses sent through

4680-406: The trailers being numbered according to the position in the set they were allocated to. So for Set XXX they would be numbered 123XXX, 223XXX, 323XXX and so on. The triple-voltage sets were numbered similarly but as Class 33000. Postal half sets were initially numbered P1–P5, later to P7. The power cars were numbered 923001—005, similarly the intermediate vehicles added a 9 in front of number. Many of

4752-538: The trains were delivered they wore a distinctive orange, grey, and white livery. The last set to wear this livery was repainted in the silver livery similar to the TGV Atlantique sets in 2001. From 2012 trains were repainted in the new SNCF Carmillon livery. The TGV Sud-Est sets can be distinguished visually from the Atlantique and Réseau sets by less streamlined power cars, as well as different placement of

4824-426: The two central tracks being reserved for through trains, and the side tracks serving stopping trains on two side platforms. LGV Sud-Est, akin to other early French high speed lines, was financed mainly by debt held by SNCF. The decision to proceed with these early LGVs, and the order in which they were constructed, was heavily influenced by evaluations of their profitability, not only in pure financial terms but also

4896-549: The use of overhead electrification instead of gas turbines , was influenced by geopolitical events as much as by innovations. On 22 September 1981, the inauguration of the first section between Saint-Florentin and Sathonay-Camp was attended by President François Mitterrand on 22 September 1981. It marked the beginning of the re-invigoration of French passenger rail service; ten million passengers travelled on LGV Sud-Est within its first ten months of operation while domestic flights between Paris and Lyon declined substantially due to

4968-423: Was code-named "C03: Railways possibilities on new infrastructure (tracks)". In 1971, the "C03" project, which had been also garnered the name "TGV Sud-Est", was validated by the French government. Following the 1973 oil crisis , which had substantially increased oil prices, it was decided to favour electric traction over gas turbine propulsion; as a consequence, high speed pantographs and overhead electrification

5040-592: Was designed for a nominal speed of 300 km/h (190 mph), with a minimum radius curve of 4,000 m (13,100 ft) – although seven curves were made to a smaller radius, but no less than 3,200 m or 10,500 ft. In total, the line comprises 847 km (526 mi) of track. This is formed by UIC 60 (60.3 kg/m [40.5 lb/ft]) rails placed in 288 m (945 ft) lengths, welded in place (with certain segmented sections). The 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) concrete sleepers are formed of two blocks of concrete tied together by

5112-471: Was developed for use on what would become LGV Sud-Est. During 1976, construction of infrastructure for LGV Sud-Est commenced. One year later, the SNCF placed its initial production order with the rolling stock manufacturing group Alstom – Francorail –MTE for 87 TGV Sud-Est trainsets that would later run on the line. On 27 September 1981, LGV Sud-Est was opened to the public. It was an instant success, ten million passengers were recorded as travelling on

5184-439: Was painted in all 3 liveries that it used during its service. The TGV Sud-Est sets were originally used on services between Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities in the south-east of France. In 2013 there were still 55 sets in use on services to south-eastern France and on cross-country services. The remaining sets were replaced by TGV POS in late 2019. The power cars were numbered as Class 23000 dual voltage locomotives, with

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