SNCF's High-Speed Air-Rail Link

Feature Railways and Air Transport

SNCF’s High-Speed Air-Rail Link

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) is used by freight trains. Lyon’s Satolas Air- min by four trains) via TGV Atlantique. The linked with major French cities by two airport also has a TGV station on the exten- number of TGV passengers to and from rail links—with central Paris by Line B of sion of the TGV Sud-Est to Valence. CDG increased from 400,000 in 1995 to the Réseau Express Régional (RER or Re- Connections between airports and intercity 1.3 million in 1998 and is expected to grow gional Express Network) run by French Na- trains can be seen at some other European to 1.7 million by 2000. Sixty percent of tional Railways (SNCF) and Régie autonome airports such as Frankfurt, Zurich, and TGV passengers transferred to airlines at des transports parisiens (RATP) (Fig. 1), and Geneva, but CDG and Satolas are unique CDG. with other major cities by SNCF’s high-speed because they are linked to dedicated high- In travel agencies and airline offics of the TGV lines (Fig 2). The airport station was speed lines. Particularly in the case of CDG, world, passengers can now purchase tickets built in a cutting adjacent to the air termi- the TGV link has greatly enhanced the combining Air France, United Airlines and nals, and the TGV line runs under the run- airport’s role as a major hub by cutting jour- Lufthansa flights with SNCF routes such as: ways in two tunnels. It was opened in 1994 ney times to other cities. TGV services from • Lille-Europe–CDG airport TGV station, and named Interconnection Ile de France. CDG cover Lille (50 minutes by 20 trains), • Lyon Part-Dieu–CDG airport TGV sta- It forms a high-speed bypass, connecting London (3 h 15 min by six trains, transfer tion, TGV Nord-Europe (for Brussels, London and at Lille-Europe) and Brussels (1 h 40 min • Nantes–CDG airport TGV station, northern France) and TGV Sud-Est (for Lyon, by seven trains) via TGV Nord-Europe, Lyon • St Pierre des Corps (Tours)–CDG airport Grenoble and the Alps, Avignon, Marseille, (2 h 5 min by eight trains), Avignon (3 h 25 TGV station Montpellier, etc.) without calling at the busy min by six trains) and Marseille (4 h 30 min An extension of these routes is foreseen in Paris terminal stations. The line is also con- by five trains) via TGV Sud-Est. TGV trains the near future. I nected to the TGV Atlantique (for Tours, also serve Tours (1 h 40 min by five trains), Rennes, Nantes, and Bordeaux, passing Le Mans (1 h 30 min by five trains), Rennes Acknowledgement through part of the conventional Grande (2 h 45 min by four trains), Nantes (2 h 45 This article is based on information received by JRTR Ceinture railway line around Paris mainly min by three trains), and Bordeaux (3 h 55 from SNCF.

Figure 2 TGV Network

London Aeroport New Lines: TGV NORDCharles de Gaulle TGV 1240 KM Calais Dunkerque Marne La Vallee Paris Chessy Boulogne Lille 1994

E 1996 Arras U Valenciennes

TIQ TGV NORD

N TG Cambrai Figure 1 Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Transport Links 1993 TLA TGV A SUD-EST Rouen

Brest JUNCTION EST TERMINAL 1 St Brieuc TGV ATLANTIQUE 1994/1996 Strasbourg 1989/1990 Quimper Rennes Le Mans Lorient Vendôme Vannes St Nazaire Dijon Besançon Le Croisic Angers Tours Bern La Baule Nantes TGV SUD-EST Chalon Lausanne Niort Poitiers 1981/1983 Genéve TERMINAL 2 La Rochelle Annecy Lyon Angoulême Chambéry St-Etienne Valence Grenoble Bordeaux Libourne TGV LYON-VALENCE Arcachon Agen Freight Area 1992/1994 Montauban TGV Station Nîmes Avignon Nice To Paris RER Stations Bayonne Dax Montpellier Hendaye Tarbes Toulouse Béziers Marseille Pau Toulon South Runway Lourdes

high-speed new line upgraded line (limit speed 200/220 km/h) network served

(EJRCF) (SNCF)