The idea of the TGV was first proposed in the 1960s, after Japan had begun construction of the Shinkansen (also known as the "bullet train") in 1959. At the time the Government of France favoured new technology, … See more

TGVs have semi-permanently coupled articulated un-powered coaches, with Jacobs bogies between the coaches supporting both of them. Power cars at each end of the … See more

SNCF and Alstom are investigating new technology that could be used for high-speed transport. The development of TGV trains is being pursued in the form of the Automotrice à grande vitesse See more

The first environmental protests against the building of an LGV occurred in May 1990 during the planning stages of the LGV Méditerranée. Protesters blocked a railway viaduct to protest against the planned route, arguing that it was unnecessary, and … See more

In June 2021 there were approximately 2,800 km of Lignes à Grande Vitesse (LGV), with four additional line sections under construction. The current lines and those under … See more

TGV technology has been adopted in a number of other countries:
• AVE (Alta Velocidad Española), in Spain.
• Thalys in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
• Korea Train Express (KTX), in South Korea. See more

In almost three decades of high-speed operation, the TGV has not recorded a single passenger fatality due to accidents while running at high speed on normal passenger service. There have been several accidents, including four derailments at or … See more