HIGH-SPEED RAILWAYS

LES GRANDES VITESSES FERROVIAIRES

Throughout recent decades, the commercial speed of passenger trains has been continuously raised to meet the need for faster transportation. These higher speeds greatly contributed to doubling railway traffic during the past 20 years. Even higher speeds are still called for, and the possibilities of present railway lines are very limited in relation to the new developments in this area. The French railway (SNCF) was consequently led to study the problems of high-speed rail vehicle traveling on new infrastructures in the 250-300 km/h range. The tests on the TGV 001 turbo-train prototype have already demonstrated that high-speed trains of this type are technically possible Feasibility studies have moreover shown that this equipment would be profitable on lines having a high "passenger" potential. At the same time, the development of both passenger and goods traffic, particularly between Paris and Lyons, raised the fear of saturation in the very near future, without the possibility of a solution with conventional means. French railway authorities have accordingly examined the set-up of a new line between Paris and Lyons, penetrating into the heart of these two cities and utilizing the present infrastructures. This line allows the direct service of the entire southeastern part of France by the extention of the trains of the present network, with very significant reductions in travel time, for the second-class as well as the first-class categories. Traffic forecasts, and the high rate of economic return of the project, combined with the saturation forecasts mentioned earlier, have induced authorities to include the start-off of work in this field within the 6th Plan, with actual service beginning at the end of the decade. The new line between Paris and Lyons will fall within the general context of many other projects under way or on the drawing board throughout the world.

• Corporate Authors:

  Federation Nationale des Trav Publ & des Synd Aff

  6 Avenue Pierre Premier de Serbie
  Paris 16e,   France 
• Authors:
  • Gentil, P
• Publication Date: 1973-8

Language

• French

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 5-9
• Serial:
  • Travaux
  • Publisher: Federation Nationale des Trav Publ & des Synd Aff

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: High speed rail; Passenger service; Railroad facility operations; Turbotrains
• Identifier Terms: Societe nationale des chemins de fer francais
• Uncontrolled Terms: Line capacity
• Old TRIS Terms: New lines
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00050595
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federation Nationale des Trav Publ & des Synd Aff
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 461-462
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1976 12:00AM