The SNCF TGV Sud-Est is a retired French high speed TGV train built by Alstom and Francorail-MTE and operated by SNCF, the French national railway company. A total of 111 trainsets were built between 1978 and 1988 for the first TGV service in France between Paris and Lyon which opened in 1981. The trainsets were semi-permanently coupled, consisting of two power cars and eight articulated passenger carriages, ten in the case of the tri-voltage sets. The trains were named after the Ligne à Grande Vitesse Sud-Est () that they first operated on. They were also referred to as TGV-PSE, an abbreviation of Paris Sud-Est.

History

The TGV Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and operated the first TGV service from Paris to Lyon in 1981. Formerly there were 107 passenger sets operating, of which nine were tri-current (25 kV 50–60 Hz AC – French lignes à grande vitesse, 1500 V DC – French lignes classiques, 15 kV Hz AC – Switzerland) and the rest bi-current (25 kV 50–60 Hz AC, 1500 V DC). There were also five, later seven, bi-current half-sets – TGV La Poste – without seats which carried mail for La Poste between Paris, Lyon and Avignon. These were painted in the distinctive La Poste yellow livery.

Each set was made up of two power cars and eight carriages (capacity 345 seats), including a powered bogie in each of the carriages adjacent to the power cars. They were long and wide. They weighed with a power output of under 25 kV.

When the trains were delivered they wore a distinctive orange, grey, and white livery. The last set to wear this livery was repainted in the silver livery similar to the TGV Atlantique sets in 2001. From 2012 trains were repainted in the new SNCF Carmillon livery. The TGV Sud-Est sets can be distinguished visually from the Atlantique and Réseau sets by less streamlined power cars, as well as different placement of the door on the bistro coach.

Originally the sets were built to run at but most were upgraded to during their mid-life refurbishment in preparation for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée. The few sets which still have a maximum speed of operate on routes which have a comparatively short distance on the lignes à grande vitesse, such as those to Switzerland via Dijon. SNCF did not consider it financially worthwhile to upgrade their speed for a marginal reduction in journey time.

Nine sets were originally delivered as all first class. Set 88 was used as a test train for synchronous traction motors then subsequently rebuilt as a tri-voltage set and renumbered 118. Set 114 was sold to SBB in 1993 and a second set in 2005. In 1995, Set 38, one of the all first class sets, was converted to an extra postal set in addition to the existing 5 half-sets.

In March 2012, a hired postal set, numbered 951, was taken to London to advertise the Euro Carex project.

In February 2013 the TGV Lyria sets (110 to 118), designed for services to Switzerland, were taken out of service. These were replaced by TGV POS sets.

In December 2019, all TGV Sud-Est sets were retired from service. In early 2020, a farewell service was run using the first production TGV set built. This train was painted in all 3 liveries that it used during its service.

In service

The TGV Sud-Est sets were originally used on services between Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities in the south-east of France. In 2013 there were still 55 sets in use on services to south-eastern France and on cross-country services. The remaining sets were replaced by TGV POS in late 2019.

Fleet list Numbering The power cars were numbered as Class 23000 dual voltage locomotives, with the trailers being numbered according to the position in the set they were allocated to. So for Set XXX they would be numbered 123XXX, 223XXX, 323XXX and so on. The triple-voltage sets were numbered similarly but as Class 33000. Postal half sets were initially numbered P1–P5, later to P7. The power cars were numbered 923001—005, similarly the intermediate vehicles added a 9 in front of number.

Names Many of the sets received names, principally of French communes, towns and cities. The names were carried on the two non-driving motor cars at each end of the articulated rake.

Dual voltage sets Set Number Name Set Number Name Set 01 Patrick Set 52 Genève Set 02 Marseille Set 53 Le Puy-en-Velay Set 03 Belfort Set 54 Chagny Set 04 Rambouillet Set 55 Denain Set 05 Ris-Orangis Set 56 Annecy Set 06 Frasne Set 57 Bourg-en-Bresse Set 07 Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Set 58 Oullins Set 08 Rouen Set 59 Hautmont Set 09 Vincennes Set 60 Langeac Set 10 Hayange Set 61 Fontainebleau Set 11 Nîmes Set 62 Toulouse Set 12 Le Havre Set 63 Villeurbanne Set 13 Ablon-sur-Seine Set 64 Dole Set 14 Montpellier Set 65 Sète Set 15 Pau Set 66 Avignon Set 16 Lyon Set 67 Bellegarde-sur-Valserine Set 17 Tergnier Set 68 Modane Set 18 Le Creusot Set 69 Vichy Set 19 Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Set 70 Melun Set 20 Colmar Set 71 Brunoy Set 21 Dijon Set 72 Cahors Set 22 Valenciennes Set 73 Charenton-le-Pont Set 23 Montbard Set 74 Arbois-Mouchard-Port-Lesney Set 24 Alfortville Set 75 Set 25 Besançon Set 76 Pontarlier Set 26 Saint-Étienne Set 77 Nuits-Saint-Georges Set 27 Mâcon Set 78 Culoz Set 28 Montélimar Set 79 Annemasse Set 29 Villeneuve-Saint-Georges Set 80 Toulon Set 30 Lille Set 81 Tonnerre Set 31 Combs-la-Ville Set 82 Trappes Set 32 Maisons-Alfort Set 83 Moissy-Cramayel Set 33 Fécamp Set 84 Dieppe Set 34 Dunkerque Set 85 Beaune Set 35 Grenoble Set 86 Montluçon Set 36 Seine-Saint-Denis Set 87 Montchanin Set 37 Saint-Germain-en-Laye Set 88/118 Set 38/P6, P7 Set 89 Set 39 Évian + Thonon Set 90 Set 40 Versailles Set 91 Set 41 Villiers-le-Bel Set 92 Set 42 Chambéry Set 93 Set 43 Aix-les-Bains Set 94 Set 44 Clermont-Ferrand Set 95 Set 45 Valence Set 96 Set 46 Contrexéville Set 97 Set 47 Nancy Set 98 Set 48 Comte-de-Nice Set 99 Set 49 Rennes Set 100 Saint Gervais-les-Bains Set 50 Beauvais Set 101 Set 51 Givors + Grigny-Badan Set 102Tri-voltage sets Set Number Name Set Number Name Set 110 Pays de Vaud Set 114 Set 111 Set 115 Set 112 Lausanne Set 116 Set 113 Set 116 Set 114 Set 117

Preservation

3 Powercars of the TGV Sud-Est sets are preserved along with a cab end and one complete set Cab end of No. 53 at Cité du train, Mulhouse. Powercar No. 57 at the former La Chapelle depot as part of the "Grand Train" exhibition 40. Powercar No. 61 by the Bischheim technicenter and intended for the Cité du train, Mulhouse Powercar No. 112 at the Railway Museum in Ambérieu-en-Bugey. Set No. 16 used on tours celebrating the speed record of the Sud-Est in 1981

Fleet details ClassNo. in ServiceYear builtOperatorCurrent UnitsNotesSeries 2300001978–1985SNCF01–37, 39–69, 71–87, 89–102BicurrentNo. 38 rebuilt as TGV La PosteNo. 70 scrapped 1988No. 88 rebuilt for TGV Atlantique testingNo. 101 rebuilt for tilt testing Retired in December 2019Series 330000110–118Tricurrent

See also List of high speed trains

References

External links Spec Sheet