Photo: BonjourLaFrance
High-speed rail is a common sight in France, the country which invented the term TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). But the current generation of trains in use in France is getting old, so they would have to be replaced soon.
Starting 2022, France plans to introduce the next generation of such trains, setting a clear goal as to what they should provide. Aside for the fact that they would be cheaper than today’s TGV’s, the new technology to be used for them is said to provide the French with a reduction in energy consumption of at least 25 percent.
According to Railway Gazette, the TGVs would be able to carry around 700 passengers, up a considerable amount from the current capacity of 500 people. Theircars will be fitted with a modular interior to allow for various configurations. Passengers will benefit from onboard services, including dfifferent types of connectivity services.
The trains will be built on the same power car wheelbase currently in use on trains deployed both in France and by Amtrak on the Boston – New York – Washington DC Northeast Corridor.
France is said to have already ordered 100 such next generation trains, with an estimated value of up to 5 billion euro ($6.1 billion).
TGV is a result of Japan creating its now famous Shinkansen bullet train in 1959. Nearly two decades of research and planning allowed the French to roll out on their tracks the first TGV prototype, the 001 Turbotrain. In 1972 it reached a top speed of 318 km/h (198 mph).
To this day, it remains the world speed record for a non-electric train, as the oil crisis of the early 1970s pushed the gas turbine out of the governments plans.
The first electric TGV was the Zébulon, introduced in 1974. The highest speed it ever reached is 309 km/h (192 mph). Subsequent versions, already in use across France, reached speeds of 380 kilometers per hour (236 mph).
According to Railway Gazette, the TGVs would be able to carry around 700 passengers, up a considerable amount from the current capacity of 500 people. Theircars will be fitted with a modular interior to allow for various configurations. Passengers will benefit from onboard services, including dfifferent types of connectivity services.
The trains will be built on the same power car wheelbase currently in use on trains deployed both in France and by Amtrak on the Boston – New York – Washington DC Northeast Corridor.
France is said to have already ordered 100 such next generation trains, with an estimated value of up to 5 billion euro ($6.1 billion).
TGV is a result of Japan creating its now famous Shinkansen bullet train in 1959. Nearly two decades of research and planning allowed the French to roll out on their tracks the first TGV prototype, the 001 Turbotrain. In 1972 it reached a top speed of 318 km/h (198 mph).
To this day, it remains the world speed record for a non-electric train, as the oil crisis of the early 1970s pushed the gas turbine out of the governments plans.
The first electric TGV was the Zébulon, introduced in 1974. The highest speed it ever reached is 309 km/h (192 mph). Subsequent versions, already in use across France, reached speeds of 380 kilometers per hour (236 mph).
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