Editing TGV (section)

==History==
The idea of the TGV was first proposed in the 1960s, after Japan had begun construction of the [[Shinkansen]] in 1959. At the time the Government of France favoured new technology, exploring the production of [[hovercraft]] and the [[Aérotrain]] air-cushion vehicle. Simultaneously, the SNCF began researching high-speed trains on conventional tracks. In 1976, the administration agreed to fund the first line. By the mid-1990s, the trains were so popular that SNCF president [[Louis Gallois]] declared that the TGV was "the train that saved French railways".<ref>{{cite journal |date=August 2010 |author=Fender, Keith |title=''TGV: High Speed Hero''|journal=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] |publisher=[[Kalmbach Publishing|Kalmbach]] |volume=70 |issue=8}}</ref>

===Development===
{{Main|Development of the TGV}}
[[File:Networks of Major High Speed Rail Operators in Europe.gif|thumb|right|Europe's high-speed rail system, including TGV lines in France]]
[[File:Deux TGV à Paris-Lyon.jpg|thumb|right|[[SNCF TGV Sud-Est|TGV Sud-Est]] (left), the first equipment used on the service; and [[TGV 2N2]] (right), the newest equipment used on the service, at [[Gare de Lyon]], 2019]]
It was originally planned that the TGV, then standing for ''{{lang|fr|très grande vitesse}}'' ('very high speed') or ''{{lang|fr|turbine grande vitesse}}'' ('high-speed turbine'), would be propelled by [[gas turbine-electric locomotive|gas turbines]], selected for their small size, good [[power-to-weight ratio]] and ability to deliver high power over an extended period. The first prototype, [[TGV 001]], was the only gas-turbine TGV:  following the increase in the price of [[petroleum|oil]] during the [[1973 oil crisis|1973 energy crisis]], gas turbines were deemed uneconomic and the project turned to electricity from [[overhead lines]], generated by [[Nuclear power in France|new nuclear power station]]s.

TGV 001 was not a wasted prototype:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/tgvpages/history.html|title=Early TGV history|work=TGVWeb|access-date=18 April 2008}}</ref> its gas turbine was only one of its many new technologies for high-speed rail travel. It also tested high-speed brakes, needed to dissipate the large amount of [[kinetic energy]] of a train at high speed, high-speed aerodynamics, and signalling. It was articulated, comprising two adjacent carriages sharing a [[bogie]], allowing free yet controlled motion with respect to one another. It reached {{convert|318|km/h|abbr=on}}, which remains the world speed record for a non-electric train. Its interior and exterior were styled by French designer Jacques Cooper, whose work formed the basis of early TGV designs, including the distinctive nose shape of the first power cars.

Changing the TGV to electric traction required a significant design overhaul. The first electric prototype, nicknamed Zébulon, was completed in 1974, testing features such as innovative body mounting of motors, [[pantograph (rail)|pantograph]]s, [[Suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] and [[Brake|braking]]. Body mounting of motors allowed over 3&nbsp;tonnes to be eliminated from the power cars and greatly reduced the [[unsprung weight]]. The prototype travelled almost {{convert|1000000|km|4=0|abbr=on}} during testing.

In 1976, the French administration funded the TGV project, and construction of the [[LGV Sud-Est]], the first high-speed line ({{langx|fr|link=no|ligne à grande vitesse}}), began shortly afterwards. The line was given the designation LN1, ''{{lang|fr|Ligne Nouvelle 1}}'' ('New Line 1'). After two pre-production trainsets (nicknamed ''Patrick'' and ''Sophie'') had been tested and substantially modified, the first production version was delivered on 25 April 1980.

===Service===
{{Main|List of TGV services}}
[[File:SNCF TGV Duplex Héricourt.jpg|thumb|[[TGV Duplex]], seen on the [[LGV Rhin-Rhône]] in [[Héricourt, Haute-Saône|Héricourt]], [[Haute-Saône]]. This service between Strasbourg and Montpellier runs on both high-speed and classic lines.]]
[[File:Viaduc de la Rague et TGV (2014).JPG|thumb|TGV Duplex departing Nice on the [[Marseille–Ventimiglia railway]]. The service towards the north runs on the classic line until Marseille, when it joins the [[LGV Méditerranée]]. The proposed [[LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur|LGV PACA]] allows for extending the high-speed service to Nice.]]
[[File:TGV Hiver pour Quimper et Paris à Modane (février 2020) 2.JPG|thumb|TGV service (partly on classic lines) to [[Modane station|Modane]] in the [[French Alps]] is popular in the winter season.]]
The TGV opened to the public between [[Paris]] and [[Lyon]] on 27 September 1981. Contrary to its earlier fast services, SNCF intended TGV service for all types of passengers, with the same initial ticket price as trains on the parallel conventional line. To counteract the popular misconception that the TGV would be a premium service for business travellers, SNCF started a major publicity campaign focusing on the speed, frequency, reservation policy, normal price, and broad accessibility of the service.<ref name="onthefasttrack1">{{cite book |title=On The Fast Track: French Railway Modernisation and the Origins of the TGV, 1944–1983 |first=Jacob |last=Meunier |pages=209–210|isbn= 978-0275973773|location=New York|publisher=Praeger|year=2001}}</ref> This commitment to a democratised TGV service was enhanced in the [[François Mitterrand|Mitterrand]] era with the promotional slogan "Progress means nothing unless it is shared by all".<ref name="onthefasttrack2">{{cite book |title=On The Fast Track: French Railway Modernisation and the Origins of the TGV, 1944–1983 |first=Jacob |last=Meunier |pages=7|isbn= 978-0275973773|location=New York|publisher=Praeger|year=2001}}</ref> The TGV was considerably faster (in terms of door to door travel time) than normal trains, [[Automobile|cars]], or [[aeroplanes]]. The trains became widely popular, the public welcoming fast and practical travel.

The [[Eurostar]] service began operation in 1994, connecting [[continental Europe]] to [[Waterloo International railway station|London]] via the [[Channel Tunnel]] and the LGV Nord-Europe with a version of the TGV designed for use in the tunnel and the United Kingdom. The first phase of the British [[High Speed 1]] line was completed in 2003, the second phase in November 2007. The fastest trains take 2&nbsp;hours 15&nbsp;minutes London–Paris and 1&nbsp;hour 51&nbsp;minutes London–Brussels. The first twice-daily London-Amsterdam service ran 3 April 2018, and took 3&nbsp;hours 47&nbsp;minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/jubilant-passengers-hop-on-board-first-ever-direct-train-from-london-to-amsterdam-a3805256.html|title=Eurostar's first ever train from London to Amsterdam arrives in style|website=standard.co.uk|date=5 April 2018}}</ref>

===Milestones===
[[File:Cd41-0015g.png|thumb|left|Record runs of the TGV]]
The TGV (1981) was the world's second commercial and the fastest [[standard gauge]] high-speed train service,<ref>{{cite web |title=General definitions of highspeed |url=http://www.uic.asso.fr/gv/article.php3?id_article=14 |publisher=[[International Union of Railways|UIC]] |date=28 November 2006 |access-date=2007-01-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061210125239/http://www.uic.asso.fr/gv/article.php3?id_article=14 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 10 December 2006}}</ref> after Japan's [[0 Series Shinkansen|Shinkansen]], which [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen|connected]] Tokyo and [[Osaka]] from 1 October 1964. It was a commercial success. 

A TGV test train holds the [[Land speed record for railed vehicles|world speed record]] for conventional trains. On 3 April 2007 a [[V150 (train)|modified TGV POS]] train reached {{convert|574.8|km/h|abbr=on}} [[TGV world speed record|under test conditions]] on the [[LGV Est]] between Paris and Strasbourg. The line voltage was boosted to 31 kV, and extra ballast was tamped onto the permanent way. The train beat the 1990 [[Land speed record for railed vehicles|world speed record]] of {{convert|515.3|km/h|abbr=on}}, set by a similarly TGV, along with unofficial records set during weeks preceding the official record run. The test was part of an extensive research programme by Alstom.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2006/12/Alstom-commits-itself-to-the-French-very-high-speed-rail-programme-20061221 |title=Alstom commits itself to the French very high speed rail programme |publisher=Alstom |date=18 December 2006 |access-date=January 3, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/news/article_1263596.php/French_high-speed_TGV_breaks_world_conventional_rail-speed_record |title=French high-speed TGV breaks world conventional rail-speed record |publisher=Deutsche Presse-Agentur (reprinted by Monsters and Critics) |date=14 February 2007 |access-date=2007-02-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218084148/http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/news/article_1263596.php/French_high-speed_TGV_breaks_world_conventional_rail-speed_record |archive-date=18 February 2007 }}</ref>

In 2007, the TGV was the [[Land speed record for railed vehicles|world's fastest conventional scheduled train]]: one journey's average start-to-stop speed from Champagne-Ardenne Station to Lorraine Station is {{convert|279.3|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref name="worldspeedsurvey2007"/><ref name="worldspeedsurvey2007pdf">[http://www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/RailwayGazetteWorldSpeedSurvey2007.pdf Railway Gazette International 2007 World Speed Survey Tables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731062056/http://www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/PDF/RailwayGazetteWorldSpeedSurvey2007.pdf |date=31 July 2009 }} [[Railway Gazette International]] (September 2007)</ref><!-- Note: Sources conflict between 279.3 and 279.4 km/h -->
This record was surpassed on 26 December 2009 by the new [[Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railway]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wuhan–Guangzhou line opens at 380&nbsp;km/h |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/wuhan-guangzhou-line-opens-at-380-km/h/34651.article|date=4 January 2010 |access-date=6 July 2023 |website=Railway Gazette International}}</ref> in [[High-speed rail in China|China]] where the fastest scheduled train covered {{convert|922|km|mi|abbr=on}} at an average speed of {{convert|312.54|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/world-speed-survey-2015-china-remains-the-pacesetter.html|title=World Speed Survey 2015: China remains the pacesetter|last=Ltd|first=DVV Media International|work=Railway Gazette International|access-date=2018-12-03|language=en|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109052010/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/world-speed-survey-2015-china-remains-the-pacesetter.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A [[British Rail Class 373|Eurostar (TGV) train]] broke the record for the longest non-stop high-speed international journey on 17 May 2006 carrying the cast and filmmakers of ''[[The Da Vinci Code (film)|The Da Vinci Code]]'' from London to [[Cannes]] for the [[Cannes Film Festival]]. The {{convert|1421|km|mi|adj=on}} journey took 7&nbsp;hours 25&nbsp;minutes on an average speed of {{convert|191.6|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/17_05_2006_world_record.jsp| title=Eurostar sets new Guinness World Record with cast and filmmakers of Columbia Pictures' The Da Vinci Code| publisher=[[Eurostar]]| date=17 May 2006| access-date=2007-02-15| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514152951/http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/17_05_2006_world_record.jsp| archive-date=14 May 2007}}</ref>

The fastest single long-distance run on the TGV was done by a [[SNCF TGV Réseau|TGV Réseau]] train from Calais-Frethun to Marseille ({{convert|1067.2|km|||abbr=on}}i) in 3&nbsp;hours 29&nbsp;minutes at a speed of {{convert|306|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} for the inauguration of the [[LGV Méditerranée]] on 26 May 2001.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1354047.stm| title=French train breaks speed record| work=[[BBC News]]| date=27 May 2001| access-date=2007-08-26}}</ref>

===Passenger usage===
On 28 November 2003, the TGV network carried its one billionth passenger, a distant second only to the Shinkansen's five billionth passenger in 2000.

Excluding international traffic, the TGV system carried 98 million passengers during 2008, an increase of 8 million (9.1%) on the previous year.<ref name="SNCFfigures2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.sncf.com/resources/fr_FR/press/kits/PR0002_20090212.pdf |title=Bilan de l'année 2008 : Perspectives 2009 |date=12 February 2009 |language=fr |publisher=[[SNCF]] |access-date=2009-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319045214/http://www.sncf.com/resources/fr_FR/press/kits/PR0002_20090212.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2009 }}</ref>
{{Div flex row|align-items=center|div o=yes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background: #cccccc;
|+TGV passengers in millions from 1981 to 2010<ref>Pepy, G.: 25 Years of the TGV. Modern Railways 10/2006, pp. 67–74</ref><ref group="t">from 1994 including Eurostar</ref><ref group="t">from 1997 including Thalys</ref>
|-
! 1980  !! 1981  !! 1982  !! 1983  !! 1984  !! 1985  !! 1986  !! 1987  !! 1988  !! 1989
|-
| {{center|–}} ||  1.26 ||  6.08 ||  9.20 || 13.77 || 15.38 || 15.57 || 16.97 || 18.10 || 19.16
|-
! 1990  !! 1991  !! 1992  !! 1993  !! 1994  !! 1995  !! 1996  !! 1997  !! 1998  !! 1999
|-
| 29.93 || 37.00 || 39.30 || 40.12 || 43.91 || 46.59 || 55.73 || 62.60 || 71.00 || 74.00
|-
! 2000  !! 2001  !! 2002  !! 2003  !! 2004  !! 2005  !! 2006  !! 2007  !! 2008  !! 2009
|-
| 79.70 || 83.50 || 87.90 || 86.70 || 90.80 || 94.00 || 97.00 || 106.00 || 114.00 || 122.00
|-
! 2010
|-
| 114.45
|}
{{Reflist|group=t}}
{{Div CO}}
{{Graph:Chart | type=rect |width = 450 |yGrid= 
| y =1.26, 6.08, 9.20, 13.77, 15.38, 15.57, 16.97, 18.10, 19.16, 29.93, 37.00, 39.30, 40.12, 43.91, 46.59, 55.73, 62.60, 71.00, 74.00, 79.70, 83.50, 87.90, 86.70, 90.80, 94.00, 97.00, 106.00, 114.00, 122.00, 114.45
| yAxisTitle = Passengers (millions)
| xAxisTitle = Year | xAxisAngle=-70
| x = 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
}}{{div flex row end|div c=y}}