X-Nico

9 unusual facts about TGV


Air Inter Flight 148

This was because Air Inter – facing ferocious competition from France's TGV high-speed trains – encouraged its pilots to fly fast at low level (up to 350 knots below 10,000 feet, while other airlines generally do not exceed 250 knots), and GPWS systems gave too many nuisance warnings.

André Chapelon

He studied locomotive behaviour at speed and the riding properties of the steel wheel on steel rail; his knowledge was put to use much later on the French TGV high speed trains.

Bibliothèque nationale de France

Construction of the library ran into huge cost overruns and technical difficulties related to its high-rise design, so much so that it was referred to as the "TGB" or "Très Grande Bibliothèque" (i.e. "Very Large Library," a sarcastic allusion to France's successful high-speed rail system, the TGV).

Guillaume Schnaebelé

In 2005, as part of the arrival of the TGV to Pagny-sur-Moselle, a bridge was named after Schnaebelé.

Julien Faubert

He is nicknamed " Le TGV " or "The Express Train" from his time in French football.

Khaled Kelkal

On the 26th of August 1995, during the bombing campaign in France, a gas bottle equipped with a detonation system was found near the Paris-Lyon TGV railway, near Cailloux-Sur-Fontaines (Rhône).

Prinsenbeek

The village is situated west of the motorway A16 (Rotterdam - Antwerp) and the TGV-line Amsterdam - Paris.

Uigwe

In 1993, then-French President François Mitterrand returned one copy during a visit to Seoul to sell its high-speed TGV train technology; with the promised to return the remaining collection.

Young Malagasies Determined

The term TGV is also a reference to Andry Rajoelina's nickname, a reference to the French high-speed train TGV and to Rajoelina's fast-mover's personality.


Ablaincourt-Pressoir

The town also an international TGV rail station, the Gare TGV Haute-Picardie, nicknamed "The sugar-beet station" named after the predominant crop of the area.

Catalan Talgo

In the fall of 1994, with the introduction of TGV services from Paris and Geneva to Montpellier, the Catalan Talgo was shortened to the Montpellier – Barcelona part.

Charente-Maritime

Just outside the city is a factory for the French engineering giant Alstom, where the TGV, the cars for the Paris and other metros are manufactured.

Charleville-Mézières

The Gare de Charleville-Mézières railway station offers connections to Paris (by TGV), Reims, Lille, Metz and regional destinations.

Chasseneuil-du-Poitou

Because of the presence of the park and technopole, a new TGV station, "Gare du Futuroscope", was built in 2000.

Gare de Bellegarde-sur-Valserine

The introduction of TGV services to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine on 22 September 1981, the completion of the autoroutes from Lyon to Geneva and the opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel all greatly improved access to Bellegarde, enabling the town to develop through industrial restructuring which allowed Bellegarde to maintain unemployment below the national average.

Gare de Calais-Fréthun

The TGV stops here on journeys from Lille-Europe to Calais, Boulogne and Rang-du-Fliers-Verton.

Gare de Lille

Gare de Lille Europe, a city centre station served by TGV and Eurostar trains

Grande Ceinture line

There are plans to build a TGV link between Normandy and l'aéroport de Roissy, using the LGV Normandie, the Grande Ceinture Nord until Stains, or a new interchange station onto the LGV Nord.

Lausanne railway station

Passenger trains are primarily run by SBB CFF FFS, the Swiss national rail company, with additional international trains run by companies from neighbouring France (TGV), Germany (ICE) and Italy (Cisalpino), with services to Barcelona provided by Elipsos (a joint venture by Spanish RENFE and French SNCF).

Lyria

TGV Lyria, a brand name used for TGV railway lines connecting France and Switzerland

Saisy

The TGV rail link passes close by and a 20 minute drive to Gare du Creusot TGV means you can park your car (free) at the station and take a day trip (or longer) to Paris or even London.

SNCF TGV Sud-Est

Currently there are 107 passenger sets operating, of which nine are tri-current (25 kV 50-60 Hz AC - French lignes à grande vitesse, 1500 V DC - French lignes classiques, 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC - Switzerland) and the rest bi-current (25 kV 50–60 Hz AC, 1500 V DC).

TGV world speed record

The record runs took place on a 140 km section of track 1 on the LGV Est, usually heading west, between kilometer posts 264 (town of Prény) and 120 (near the Champagne-Ardenne TGV station).

THSR 700T

THSRC's bid was based on the high-speed technology platform of Eurotrain, a joint venture of GEC-Alsthom, the main maker of the French TGV, and Siemens, the main maker of the German ICE.


see also