France opens two high-speed lines

[Vergennes]

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) officially opened two extensions to its TGV Atlantique network on July 1: TGV Océane from Tours to Bordeaux and TGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire from Le Mans to Rennes.


The first special train departed Paris Montparnasse at 08.41 and arrived in Bordeaux a couple of minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time of 10.45.

An opening ceremony was staged in Bordeaux attended by politicians including Mr Alain Juppé mayor of Bordeaux, transport minister Mrs Elisabeth Borne, and Mr Nicolas Hulot, secretary of state for ecology, sustainable development and energy, as well as Mr Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, who said these are the ninth and tenth high-speed lines to open in France.

“I have a simple vision: TGV must remain accessible to everyone,” Borne declared. “We want to increase the number of people using rail.”

This was echoed by Hulot who said: “Transport must be available to all.”

The new lines will cut Paris – Bordeaux journey times by 1h 10min to 2h 4min while Paris – Rennes will be 39 minutes faster with a 2h 25min trip time.

“We will provide 5000 extra seats per day between Paris and Bordeaux with half hourly services during peak periods,” said Mrs Helen Picard, CEO of SNCF Voyages. “Our policy is to go for volume with low prices to transform travel. Our goal is to switch 100% of air travel on this route to train.”

Picard explained that the new inOui brand will be added to the well-established TGV name to represent an enhancement of the service with new or refurbished trains and better onboard service including Wi-Fi. “We have trained 5000 personnel to provide passengers with a better service and we will train another 10,000.”

SNCF will also introduce its low-cost TGV service, Ouigo, on the Bordeaux route when the lines start commercial service on July 2. “Ouigo’s cost per seat is half that of TGV,” Picard said. “Ouigo is a way to get a big share of the low-cost market which is growing. One out of two Ouigo passengers would not have taken TGV had Ouigo not existed“We are the only railway which has been able to build a low-cost high-speed service itself,” Picard said. “Ouigo is now breaking even after three years.”

A second inaugural TGV ran from Bordeaux via Angers to Rennes on the afternoon of July 1 while a third train carrying the new French president Mr Emmanuel Macron ran from Paris to Rennes.

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/france-opens-two-high-speed-lines.html?channel=000

@anant_s

 

[ValerioAurelius]

View attachment 407713

FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) officially opened two extensions to its TGV Atlantique network on July 1: TGV Océane from Tours to Bordeaux and TGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire from Le Mans to Rennes.


The first special train departed Paris Montparnasse at 08.41 and arrived in Bordeaux a couple of minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time of 10.45.

An opening ceremony was staged in Bordeaux attended by politicians including Mr Alain Juppé mayor of Bordeaux, transport minister Mrs Elisabeth Borne, and Mr Nicolas Hulot, secretary of state for ecology, sustainable development and energy, as well as Mr Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, who said these are the ninth and tenth high-speed lines to open in France.

“I have a simple vision: TGV must remain accessible to everyone,” Borne declared. “We want to increase the number of people using rail.”

This was echoed by Hulot who said: “Transport must be available to all.”

The new lines will cut Paris – Bordeaux journey times by 1h 10min to 2h 4min while Paris – Rennes will be 39 minutes faster with a 2h 25min trip time.

“We will provide 5000 extra seats per day between Paris and Bordeaux with half hourly services during peak periods,” said Mrs Helen Picard, CEO of SNCF Voyages. “Our policy is to go for volume with low prices to transform travel. Our goal is to switch 100% of air travel on this route to train.”

Picard explained that the new inOui brand will be added to the well-established TGV name to represent an enhancement of the service with new or refurbished trains and better onboard service including Wi-Fi. “We have trained 5000 personnel to provide passengers with a better service and we will train another 10,000.”

SNCF will also introduce its low-cost TGV service, Ouigo, on the Bordeaux route when the lines start commercial service on July 2. “Ouigo’s cost per seat is half that of TGV,” Picard said. “Ouigo is a way to get a big share of the low-cost market which is growing. One out of two Ouigo passengers would not have taken TGV had Ouigo not existed“We are the only railway which has been able to build a low-cost high-speed service itself,” Picard said. “Ouigo is now breaking even after three years.”

A second inaugural TGV ran from Bordeaux via Angers to Rennes on the afternoon of July 1 while a third train carrying the new French president Mr Emmanuel Macron ran from Paris to Rennes.

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/france-opens-two-high-speed-lines.html?channel=000

@anant_s

Why do they use that stupid inoui brand and replace TGV?

 

[UKBengali]

I have been on TVG and it is very smooth ride. Impressive.

 

[anant_s]

Excellent!

Ouigo is now breaking even after three years.

This is most heartening news, not just for SNCF but HST around the world.
High Speed Trains as Chinese and French transportation models have shown can be a darling of passengers, if companies play their card right and attract ridership by reasonable pricing and good service.

@AndrewJin @TaiShang @Nilgiri @ahojunk @Shotgunner51

 

[ValerioAurelius]

I must say the german ICE train is a bit better than the TGV. Better seating and the ride is more calm.

Our own Italo train is based on the TGV though.

 

[Vergennes]

Excellent!

No such big projects are going to be launched anytime soon,sadly. Firstly because of their abysmal costs and their strains on public finances,especially with how the former Socialist government left our finances. Secondly,the President has vowed instead to modernise the current infrastructures and to focus on the "everydays transports".

Also with a focus on territories where transports are lacking.

 

[Nilgiri]

Excellent!

This is most heartening news, not just for SNCF but HST around the world.
High Speed Trains as Chinese and French transportation models have shown can be a darling of passengers, if companies play their card right and attract ridership by reasonable pricing and good service.
View attachment 407797
View attachment 407799
View attachment 407801
@AndrewJin @TaiShang @Nilgiri @ahojunk @Shotgunner51

Yep hopefully India long term can achieve on grand scale its FBR nuclear tech to provide the electricity for a large advanced ground transport network at all load and speed requirements. France showed it on its scale (though not so much FBR part - though Phenix et al were interesting ones to read about) quite early which I give much kudos to them. I believe they still get 75% or some large percentage of their electricity from nuclear power and they export a large amount too....they enjoying the fruits from the RnD and capacity they installed earlier (costly then, but much more cheaper than now). Its a worthy lesson for many countries.

Hopefully relations with China also improve and we can rope them in as well to provide tech realisation on many fronts.

 

[anant_s]

Yep hopefully India long term can achieve on grand scale its FBR nuclear tech to provide the electricity for a large advanced ground transport network at all load and speed requirements. France showed it on its scale (though not so much FBR part - though Phenix et al were interesting ones to read about) quite early which I give much kudos to them. I believe they still get 75% or some large percentage of their electricity from nuclear power and they export a large amount too....they enjoying the fruits from the RnD and capacity they installed earlier (costly then, but much more cheaper than now). Its a worthy lesson for many countries.

i think you meant to reply this for someplace else

 

[Nilgiri]

i think you meant to reply this for someplace else

LOL...yeah I got carried away. But if you look at French HSR planning back in the day, they really leapfrogged its scale because of their earlier and ongoing commitment to nuclear energy at the time. A strategic decision (to never suffer again due to an oil price crisis) turned into a long term economic benefit.

 

[anant_s]

ongoing commitment to nuclear energy at the time

One of the best decision still quoted while teaching students about national long term energy planning, even today.
In any case when it comes to Engineering excellence, few can match what Germany, France and Japan have achieved even with small population these countries have. Speaks volumes about work ethics and culture.
PS: I've had the "honor" of using some Safety relief valves from a French company Vanatome. I still have a smile on my face every time i hear about the company and its products. Absolutely delightful!!

 

[Vergennes]

@Nilgiri @anant_s @waz @AndrewJin

An interesting map I found. This shows the time of travel by trains from Paris to other French cities.... in 1882 !

As showed in the map,it took more 9h05 to reach Bordeaux from Paris,while as of today you can reach it in 2h04 !

In 1882,it took 7h30 to reach Rennes when today it's only 1h25 !

Today it takes about 5h50 to reach Nice when it was 23h30 in 1882!

15h35 to reach Marseille back then,compared to 3h today.

Technology has advanced so much,it's amazing.

 

[Nilgiri]

@Nilgiri @anant_s @waz @AndrewJin

An interesting map I found. This shows the time of travel by trains from Paris to other French cities.... in 1882 !

As showed in the map,it took more 9h05 to reach Bordeaux from Paris,while as of today you can reach it in 2h04 !

In 1882,it took 7h30 to reach Rennes when today it's only 1h25 !

Today it takes about 5h50 to reach Nice when it was 23h30 in 1882!

15h35 to reach Marseille back then,compared to 3h today.

View attachment 411104

Technology has advanced so much,it's amazing.

Full day almost to reach the pyrenees from Paris!

I guess those trains back then would originate at Gare d'Austerlitz and Gare Montparnasse?

Very sad they tore down the old Gare Montparnasse!