The TGV Atlantique (TGV-A) is a class of high-speed trains used in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
by
SNCF; they were built by
Alstom between 1988 and 1992, and were the second generation of
TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
trains, following on from the
TGV Sud-Est.
105 bi-current sets, numbered 301-405, were built for the opening of the
LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique (French: ''Ligne à Grande Vitesse''; English: Atlantic high-speed line) is a high-speed rail line running from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) to Western France. It opened in 1989–1990 and comprises two stations: Massy TGV statio ...
. Entry into service began in 1989. They are long and wide. They weigh , and are made up of two power cars and ten carriages with a total of 485 seats. They were built for a maximum speed of with total power under 25 kV.
From 2015 onwards, many of these units have been scrapped with only 28 still in service in 2022. Most of the remaining fleet have been refurbished and mainly see service on slower trains between Paris and Bordeaux that use only a portion of the LGV Atlantique and
LGV Sud Europe Atlantique
The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique (LGV SEA), also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest or LGV L'Océane, is a high-speed railway line between Tours and Bordeaux, in France. It is used by TGV trains operated by SNCF. It is an extension of the LGV Atlantique. ...
. Fast through services on the route are now operated by the higher capacity
TGV "Océane".
Modified unit 325
set the world speed record in 1990 on the new LGV before its opening. Modifications, such as improved
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dy ...
, larger wheels and improved braking were made to enable test run speeds of over . The set was reduced to two power cars and three carriages to improve the
power-to-weight ratio, weighing . The TGV Atlantique's world record was beaten on the 3 April 2007, by a
TGV POS
The TGV POS is a TGV train built by French manufacturer Alstom which is operated by the French national rail company, the SNCF, in France's high-speed rail lines. It was originally ordered by the SNCF for use on the new LGV Est, which was put in ...
set on the
LGV Est
The Ligne à Grande Vitesse Est européenne (East European High Speed Line), typically shortened to LGV Est, is a French high-speed rail line that connects Vaires-sur-Marne (near Paris) and Vendenheim (near Strasbourg). The line halved the ...
, which reached a top speed of .
Fleet details
See also
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List of high speed trains
The following is a list of high-speed trains that have been, are, or will be in commercial service.
A high-speed train
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrate ...
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AVE Class 100
The Renfe Class 100 is a high-speed train used for AVE services by the Renfe Operadora, in Spain. It was the first high-speed train put into service in Spain, in 1992.
History
This class lived through all the changes involved in the creatio ...
, a high-speed train in Spain based on the design of the TGV Atlantique
Further reading
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External links
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Spec Sheet
Land speed record rail vehicles
Atlantique
Electric multiple units with locomotive-like power cars
Passenger trains running at least at 300 km/h in commercial operations
{{France-rail-transport-stub
25 kV AC multiple units
1500 V DC multiple units of France