TGV high-speed train celebrates 40 years
European high-speed champion
Need for speed was a popular computer game when I was a young boy. When talking about high-speed champions in railway world TGV is the train that surely comes to our mind. In the period of booming individual transport by cars and increasing number of continental flights in Europe TGV demonstrated that high-speed train can compete with the airplane!
TGV = train à grande vitesse (high-speed train)
TGV is a brand of French state railways SNCF. TGV is a masterpiece in engineering of modern high-speed trains. Few decades back I still admire the French engineers who developed this iconic train. Note that this was long time before the first ICE appeared in Germany. French were clear front-runners in the field of high-speed trains in Europe.
Technical data of TGV
Over the course of 40 successful years several models (types) of TGV were developed and manufactured:
- TGV Sud-Est
- TGV Atlantique
- TGV Reseau
- TGV Duplex
- TGV POS
- TGV 2N2 (Euroduplex)
TGV Sud-Est was the first TGV service. The trains were built between 1978 and 1988. Originally those trains had their characteritic orange paint. Nowadays the most TGVs carry silver and blue paint.
TGV Atlantique has a maximum speed of 300 km/h. Later types (starting from TGV Réseau) reach 320 km/h.
Manufacturer: Alstom (earlier GEC-Alsthom, Alsthom Atlantique)
Variety of power supplies
Power supply depends on the track where the TGV is operating. All TGVs are at least bi-current (dual supply system). The dominant supply system in France is 25 kV/50 Hz. Some lines are supplied from 1.5 kV DC. Trains servicing neighbouring countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Belgium or Netherlands operate under 15 kV/16.7 Hz as well. Finally, certain TGVs are adopted to operate under 3 kV DC. TGV uses two sets of pantographs, one for AC supply and other one for DC supply.
Rated power
Rated power of the train set slightly varies depending on specific TGV model. More significantly, the power changes based on actual railway supply system. TGV reaches highest power under the supply system 25 kV/50 Hz. TGV Atlantique, TGV Réseau and TGV Duplex are rated 8’800 kW at 25 kV. When using 1.5 kV DC supply the power is reduced to less than one half of it. TGV POS has nominal power of 9’280 kW at 25 kV and Euroduplex even slightly higher: 9’400 kW.
Traction motors
First generation of TGV was using direct current (DC) motors supplied from thyristor-based controlled rectifiers. Later generations use alternating current (AC) motors: synchronous motors in TGV Atlantique, TGV Réseau and TGV Duplex and asynchronous motors in TGV POS and Eurostar.
History of TGV high-speed train
The concept of TGV was firstproposed in 1960s when the SNCF (French State Railways) started to research new high-speed train technology.
40 years ago, in September 1981 the first Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) left the station Gare de Lyon in Paris in south-east direction towards Lyon (400 km distance). At that time the maximum speed was limited to 260 km/h as the track was not completely finished. Later on the top speed was increased to 320 km/h and the goal was reached: from Paris to Lyon (or vice versa) in 2 hours.
Did you know that…?
– Concept of gas turbine propulsion
The TGV was originally planned to be propelled by gas turbines (turbine grande vitesse) due to their good power-to-weight ratio. There was even one prototype of gas turbine driven TGV being built. However, the energy crisis in 1970s caused to change the concept to electric train supplied from the catenary as we know it today. What a smart move from today’s perspective. In 2021 we are just experiencing next sharp increase of gas prices and possible supply shortages in Europe. Sure, electricity prices go up as well but the increase is less dramatic and the supplies are much more secure. Not even mentioning the environmental impact of a gas turbine…
– Use of load-commutated inverters
The TGV models Atlantique, Réseau and Duplex are using synchronous motors supplied for a load-commutated inverter (LCI). If you follow our articles about medium voltage industrial drives then you know that LCI is one of the VFD technologies preferably used in high-power range (more about LCI under this LINK).
World speed records
TGV trains set during three decades several speed records.
The history of speed records starts already in 1981. On February 26, the TGV shatters the rail speed record dating from 1955 by reaching 380 km/h!
On 18th May 1990 TGV beats its previous speed record from 1981 when reaching 515.3 km/h.
3 April, 2007 is a special day in the history of railway. On that day TGV reached the speed record of 574.8 km/h: World’s fastest railway speed.
TGV’s contribution to sustainbale transportation
With introduction of TGV passengers got a competitive alternative to commercial flights, both time-wise and cost-wise. The number of flights between the cities connected by TGV trains was gradually declining and on some routes even terminated. When TGV was developed the main motivation was maybe not the climate conservation. However, seeing it from today’s perspective, TGV made a large contribution to reduction of carbon emissions. The TGV network in France carries about 110 million passengers a year. Considerable portion of them would probably use different means of transportation, such as airplane or a car, if the high-speed railway network would not exist.
The success of TGV also inspired other countries to develop and deploy high-speed trains. In Europe we can name Spain or Germany as example.
TGV celebrates 40 years of operation, we congratulate
The commercial operation of TGV officially started on September 27, 1981. Therefore we celebrate a 40-years anniversary. It is an opportunity to think about the engineering ingenuity, effort and courage that were necessary to make TGV a great success. Let’s hope that railway keeps its high popularity among passengers and travellers in Europe and elsewhere. Let’s hope that European governments increase their support of railway and recognize its contribution to the ambitious climate goals that most European countries have set. Electric trains using power generated from an energy mix with high portion of renewable and low-carbon sources is clearly the most environmental friendly way of mass transportation.
Thank you TGV for showcasing that high-speed trains in Europe can be successful, popular, economical, environmental friendly and safe. Thank you that-time French government and management of SNCF for your vision dated back to 1960s. Many thanks to all engineers involved in the development for hard work and your endurance to realize such a “project”. You have saved millions of tonns of carbon emissions and billions of travelling hours of humans that can instead be spent more meaningful.
Let TGV project remain a source of inspiration for younger engineers, politicians, managers and other decision makers.
Dear TGV, we wish you next billions of happy passengers, next millions of kilometers without any fatalities. Keep writing this chapter in modern railway history.
References
[1] Le Grand Album des Records, La vie du Rail, Paris 2007 (ISBN: 978-2-915034-70-7)
[2] TGV – Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV
