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{{Short description|State-operated intercity high-speed rail service of France}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Merge from|TGV inOui|discuss=Talk:TGV#Proposed merge of TGV inOui into TGV|date=September 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name    = TGV 
| logo_filename    = TGV logo (2012).svg
| logo_size        = 
| system_map       =
| map_caption      =
| map_size         =
| image            = SNCF TGV Duplex 2N2 4718 (8464339495).jpg
| image_size       = 300px
| image_caption    = [[Euroduplex|TGV 2N2]] at [[Gare de l'Est]] in Paris, 2013
| locale           = {{bulleted list|[[High-speed rail in France|France]], with services extending to [[High-speed rail in Belgium|Belgium]], [[Rail transport in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], [[High-speed rail in Germany|Germany]], [[High-speed rail in Switzerland|Switzerland]], [[Monaco]], [[High-speed rail in Italy|Italy]], [[AVE|Spain]] and the [[High-speed rail in the Netherlands|Netherlands]]|Technology exported for [[Al Boraq]] in [[Morocco]]|Derivative versions operated by [[Eurostar]] and national companies in [[KTX|South Korea]], [[Renfe Class 100|Spain]] and the [[Acela|US]]}}
| start_year       = {{start date and age|1981}}
| end_year         = present
| predecessor_line = 
| successor_line   =
| gauge            = {{RailGauge|sg}} ([[standard gauge]])
| length           =
| hq_city          =
| website          = {{URL|https://www.groupe-sncf.com/en}}
}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name     = LGV network
| map_size          = 300px
| system_map        = File:France TGV.png
| map_caption       = High-speed lines in France
}}
The '''TGV''' ({{IPA|fr|teʒeve|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Poslovitch-TGV.wav}}; {{lang|fr|'''train à grande vitesse'''}}, {{IPA|fr|tʁɛ̃ a ɡʁɑ̃d vitɛs|audio=LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-train à grande vitesse.wav|}}, 'high-speed train'){{efn|Known as the {{lang|fr|TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse}} during the development phase. See also: [[Development of the TGV]].}} is France's intercity [[high-speed rail]] service. With commercial operating speeds of up to {{convert|320|km/h|abbr=on}} on the newer lines,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Le TGV roulera bientôt à 360 km/h |language=fr |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/societes-francaises/2007/12/17/04010-20071217ARTFIG00331-le-tgv-roulera-bientot-a-kmh-.php |first=Fabrice |last=Amedeo |newspaper=Le Figaro |date=17 December 2007 |access-date=6 July 2023}}</ref> the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the [[Ariane 1]] rocket and [[Concorde]] supersonic airliner; sponsored by the [[Government of France]], those funding programmes were known as {{lang|fr|champion national}} ('[[National champions|national champion]]') policies. In 2023 the TGV network in France carried 122 million passengers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.europe1.fr/societe/sncf-tgv-ter-les-chiffres-dune-annee-record-4226071|title=SNCF : TGV, TER… les chiffres d'une année 2023 record|date=19 January 2024|publisher=[[Europe 1]]|access-date=|lang=fr}}</ref>

The state-owned [[SNCF]] started working on a high-speed rail network in 1966. It presented the project to President [[Georges Pompidou]] in 1974 who approved it. Originally designed as [[turbotrain]]s to be [[gas turbine train|powered by gas turbine]]s, TGV prototypes evolved into electric trains with the [[1973 oil crisis]]. In 1976 the SNCF ordered 87 high-speed trains from [[Alstom]]. Following the inaugural service between [[Paris]] and [[Lyon]] in 1981 on the [[LGV Sud-Est]], the network, centred on Paris, has expanded to connect major cities across France, including [[Marseille]], [[Lille]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Rennes]] and [[Montpellier]], as well as in neighbouring countries on a combination of high-speed and conventional lines. The success of the first high-speed service led to a rapid development of ''lignes à grande vitesse'' (LGVs, 'high-speed lines') to the south ([[LGV Rhône-Alpes|Rhône-Alpes]], [[LGV Méditerranée|Méditerranée]], [[Contournement Nîmes – Montpellier|Nîmes–Montpellier]]), west ([[LGV Atlantique|Atlantique]], [[LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire|Bretagne-Pays de la Loire]], [[LGV Sud Europe Atlantique|Sud Europe Atlantique]]), north ([[LGV Nord|Nord]], [[LGV Interconnexion Est|Interconnexion Est]]) and east ([[LGV Rhin-Rhône|Rhin-Rhône]], [[LGV Est|Est]]). Since it was launched, the TGV has not recorded a single passenger fatality in an accident on normal, high-speed service.

A specially modified TGV high-speed train known as [[Project V150]], weighing only 265 tonnes, set the world record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching {{convert|574.8|km/h|abbr=on}} during a test run on 3 April 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/french-train-hits-357-mph-breaking-world-speed-record|title=French Train Hits 357 mph Breaking World Speed Record|date=4 April 2007|publisher=[[Fox News]]|access-date=11 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504144012/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,263542,00.html|archive-date=4 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, the world's fastest scheduled rail journey was a start-to-stop average speed of {{convert|279.4|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} between the [[Gare de Champagne-Ardenne TGV|Gare de Champagne-Ardenne]] and [[Gare de Lorraine TGV|Gare de Lorraine]] on the [[LGV Est]],<ref name="worldspeedsurvey2007">{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Dr Colin|title=World Speed Survey 2007: New lines boost rail's high speed performance|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/world-speed-survey-2007-new-lines-boost-rails-high-speed-performance/32295.article|date=4 September 2007|access-date=6 July 2023|website=Railway Gazette International|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809030715/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/world-speed-survey-new-lines-boost-rails-high-speed-performance.html|archive-date=9 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="worldspeedsurvey2007pdf" /> not surpassed until the 2013 reported average of {{convert|283.7|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} express service on the [[Shijiazhuang]] to [[Zhengzhou]] segment of China's [[Shijiazhuang–Wuhan high-speed railway]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/world-speed-survey-2013-china-sprints-out-in-front.html|access-date=2 July 2013|title=World Speed Survey 2013: China sprints out in front|work=[[Railway Gazette International]]|archive-date=26 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030658/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/world-speed-survey-2013-china-sprints-out-in-front.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the engineering phase, the [[transmission voie-machine]] (TVM) cab-signalling technology was developed, as drivers would not be able to see signals along the track-side when trains reach full speed. It allows for a train engaging in an emergency braking to request within seconds all following trains to reduce their speed; if a driver does not react within {{Cvt|1.5|km}}, the system overrides the controls and reduces the train's speed automatically. The TVM safety mechanism enables TGVs using the same line to depart every three minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infotransport.pl/admin/viewArticle.php?article_id=111&sesClientID=0|title=Sympozjum CS Transport w CNTK|language=pl|access-date=2009-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626082807/http://www.infotransport.pl/admin/viewArticle.php?article_id=111&sesClientID=0|archive-date=26 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="modular">{{cite web|title=TVM 400-a modular and flexible ATC system|last=Gruere|first=Y|year=1989|pages=341–345 | url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/51899}}</ref>

The TGV system itself extends to neighbouring countries, either directly (Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany) or through TGV-derivative networks linking France to Switzerland ([[TGV Lyria|Lyria]]), to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands (former [[Thalys]]), as well as to the United Kingdom ([[Eurostar]]). Several future lines are under construction or planned, including extensions within France and to surrounding countries. The [[Mont d'Ambin Base Tunnel]], part of the [[Turin–Lyon high-speed railway|LGV Lyon–Turin]] which is currently under construction, is set to become the longest rail tunnel in the world. Cities such as [[Tours]] and [[Le Mans]] have become part of a "TGV [[Commuting|commuter]] belt" around Paris; the TGV also serves [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]] and [[Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport]]. A visitor attraction in itself, it stops at [[Disneyland Paris]] and in southern tourist cities such as [[Avignon]] and [[Aix-en-Provence]] as well. [[Brest, France|Brest]], [[Chambéry]], [[Nice]], [[Toulouse]] and [[Biarritz]] are reachable by TGVs running on a mix of LGVs and modernised lines. In 2007, the SNCF generated profits of €1.1 billion (approximately US$1.75 billion, £875 million) driven largely by higher margins on the TGV network.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/jul/09/rail.sncf.montblancexpress|title=Europe's rail renaissance on track|first=David|last=Gow|work=guardian.co.uk|date=9 July 2008|access-date=9 February 2010 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/07/15/french-high-speed-trains-turn-175b-profit-leave-american-rail-in-the-dust/|title=French Trains Turn $1.75B Profit, Leave American Rail in the Dust|first=Ben|last=Fried|work=Streetsblog New York City|publisher=streetsblog.org|date=15 July 2008|access-date=9 February 2010|archive-date=22 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322235150/http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/07/15/french-high-speed-trains-turn-175b-profit-leave-american-rail-in-the-dust/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
The idea of the TGV was first proposed in 1967, 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=https://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}}
{{Chart|definition=TGV passengers in millions from 1981 to 2010.chart|data=TGV passengers in millions from 1981 to 2010.tab|Width=450|align=right}}{{div flex row end|div c=y}}

==Rolling stock==
[[File:Paris, Gare de Lyon with three TGV in 1985 (SIK 03-026269).jpg|thumb|right|Three TGV trains at [[Gare de Lyon]] station in Paris, 1985]]
All TGV trains have two [[power car]]s, one on each end. Between those power cars are a set of semi-permanently coupled [[Articulated vehicle|articulated]] un-powered [[Coach (rail)|coaches]]. Cars are connected with [[Jacobs bogie]]s, a single [[bogie]] shared between the ends of two coaches. The only exception are the end cars, which have a standalone bogie on the side closest to the power car, which is often motorized. Power cars also have two bogies.

Trains can be lengthened by coupling two TGVs, using couplers hidden in the noses of the power cars. 

The articulated design is advantageous during a derailment, as the passenger carriages are more likely to stay upright and in line with the track. Normal trains could split at [[Railway coupling|coupling]]s and [[Jackknifing|jackknife]], as seen in the [[Eschede train disaster]]. A disadvantage is that it is difficult to split sets of carriages. While power cars can be removed from trains by standard uncoupling procedures, specialized equipment is needed to split carriages, by lifting up cars off a bogie. Once uncoupled, one of the carriage ends is left without support, so a specialized frame is required.

SNCF prefers to use power cars instead of [[Electric multiple unit|electric multiple units]] because it allows for less electrical equipment.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr17/pdf/f40_technology.pdf | title=What Drives Electric Multiple Units? | website=www.ejrcf.or.jp | first=Hiroshi | last=Hata}}</ref>

There are six types of TGV equipment in use, all built by [[Alstom]]:
* [[SNCF TGV Atlantique|TGV Atlantique]] (10 carriages)
* [[SNCF TGV Réseau|TGV Réseau]] (an upgrade of the Atlantique, 8 carriages)
* [[TGV Duplex]] (two floors for greater passenger capacity)
* [[SNCF TGV POS|TGV POS]] (originally for routes to Germany, now used to Switzerland)
* [[Euroduplex|TGV 2N2]] (also known as the Avelia Euroduplex, an upgrade of the TGV Duplex)
* [[SNCF TGV M|TGV M]] (also known as the Avelia Horizon, expected to enter service in 2025)

Retired sets:
* [[SNCF TGV Sud-Est|TGV Sud-Est]] (retired in December 2019)
**[[SNCF TGV La Poste|TGV La Poste]] (retired in June 2015)

Several TGV types have broken records, including the [[V150 (train)|V150]] and [[TGV 001]]. V150 was a specially modified five-car double-deck trainset that [[TGV world speed record#Record of 2007|reached {{convert|574.8|km/h|abbr=on}}]] under controlled conditions on a test run. It narrowly missed beating the world train speed record of {{convert|581|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite news|title=French Train Sets New World Speed Record |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/migrationtemp/1547513/French-train-sets-new-world-speed-record.html |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507193619/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/migrationtemp/1547513/French-train-sets-new-world-speed-record.html |archive-date=7 May 2008 }}</ref> The record-breaking speed is impractical for commercial trains due to motor overcharging, empty train weight, rail and engine wear issues, elimination of all but three coaches, excessive vibration, noise and lack of [[Emergency brake (train)|emergency stopping methods]]. TGVs travel at up to {{Convert|320|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} in commercial use. 

All TGVs are at least ''bi-current'', which means that they can operate at {{25 kV 50 Hz}} (used on LGVs) and {{1,500 V DC}} (used on traditional lines). Trains travelling internationally must accommodate other voltages ({{15 kV AC}} or {{3,000 V DC}}), requiring ''tri-current'' and ''quad-current'' TGVs. 

Each TGV power car has two pantographs: one for AC use and one for DC. When passing between areas with different electric systems (identified by marker boards), trains enter a phase break zone. Just before this section, train operators must power down the motors (allowing the train to [[Gliding (vehicle)|coast]]), lower the pantograph, adjust a switch to select the appropriate system, and raise the pantograph. Once the train exits the phase break zone and detects the correct electric supply, a dashboard indicator illuminates, and the operator can once again engage the motors. 

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" | Equipment type
! colspan="2" | Top speed
! rowspan="2" | Seating <br />capacity
! colspan="2" | Overall length
! colspan="2" | Width
! rowspan="2" | Weight, <br />empty (t)
! rowspan="2" | Weight, <br />full (t)
! rowspan="2" | Power, <br />at 25&nbsp;kV (kW)
! rowspan="2" | [[Power-to-weight]] ratio, <br />empty (kW/t)
! rowspan="2" | First <br />built
! rowspan="2" |Number in Service
|-
! km/h !! mph
! m !! ft
! m !! ft
|-
| [[TGV Atlantique]]
| {{convert|300|km/h|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 485, 459 (rebuilt)
| {{convert|238|m|ft|disp=table}}
| {{convert|2.90|m|ft|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 444
| align="right" | 484
| align="right" | 8,800
| align="right" | 19.82
| align="right" | 1988
|28 Trainsets
|-
| [[TGV Réseau]]
| {{convert|320|km/h|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 377, 361 (rebuilt)
| {{convert|200|m|ft|disp=table}}
| {{convert|2.90|m|ft|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 383
| align="right" | 415
| align="right" | 8,800
| align="right" | 22.98
| align="right" | 1992
|57 Trainsets
|-
| [[TGV Duplex]]
| {{convert|320|km/h|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 508
| {{convert|200|m|ft|disp=table}}
| {{convert|2.90|m|ft|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 380
| align="right" | 424
| align="right" | 8,800
| align="right" | 23.16
| align="right" | 1994
|160 Trainsets
|-
| [[TGV POS]]
| {{convert|320|km/h|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 361
| {{convert|200|m|ft|disp=table}}
| {{convert|2.90|m|ft|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 383
| align="right" | 415
| align="right" | 9,280
| align="right" | 24.23
| align="right" | 2005
|38 Trainsets
|-
| [[Euroduplex]]
| {{convert|320|km/h|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 509(SNCF), 533(ONCF)
| {{convert|200|m|ft|disp=table}}
| {{convert|2.90|m|ft|disp=table}}
| align="right" | 380
| align="right" | 424
| align="right" | 9,400
| align="right" | 24.74
| align="right" | 2011
|122 trainsets
|}

===TGV Sud-Est===
{{Main|SNCF TGV Sud-Est|SNCF TGV La Poste}}
[[File:TGV original livery 1987.jpg|thumb|A [[TGV Sud-Est]] set in the original orange livery.]]
The Sud-Est fleet was built between 1978 and 1988 and operated the first TGV service, from Paris to Lyon in 1981. There were 107 passenger sets, of which nine are tri-current (including {{15 kV AC}} for use in Switzerland) and the rest bi-current. There were seven bi-current half-sets without seats that carried mail for [[La Poste (France)|La Poste]] between Paris, Lyon and [[Provence]], in a distinctive yellow livery until they were phased out in 2015.

Each set were made up of two power cars and eight carriages (capacity 345 seats), including a powered bogie in the carriages adjacent to the power cars. They are {{convert|200|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2.81|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide. They weighed {{Convert|385|t|lb}} with a power output of 6,450&nbsp;kW under 25&nbsp;kV.

The sets were originally built to run at {{convert|270|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} but most were upgraded to {{convert|300|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} during mid-life refurbishment in preparation for the opening of the LGV Méditerranée. The few sets that kept a maximum speed of {{convert|270|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} operated on routes that include a comparatively short distance on LGV, such as to Switzerland via Dijon; SNCF did not consider it financially worthwhile to upgrade their speed for a marginal reduction in journey time.

In December 2019, the trains were phased out from service. In late 2019 and early 2020, TGV 01 (Nicknamed Patrick), the very first TGV train, did a farewell service that included all three liveries that were worn during their service.<ref>{{Cite web|title=[SNCF] Farewell tour for Patrick, the first TGV train|url=https://engnews24h.com/sncf-farewell-tour-for-patrick-the-first-tgv-train/|date=2020-02-07|website=Eng News 24h|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-18|archive-date=15 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215154227/http://engnews24h.com/sncf-farewell-tour-for-patrick-the-first-tgv-train/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===TGV Atlantique===
{{Main|SNCF TGV Atlantique}}
[[File:TGV Atlantique La Rochelle.JPG|right|thumb|TGV Atlantique at La Rochelle station]]
The 105 train Atlantique fleet was built between 1988 and 1992 for the opening of the [[LGV Atlantique]] and entry into service began in 1989. They are all bi-current, {{convert|237.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide. They weigh {{Convert|444|t|lb}} and are made up of two power cars and ten carriages with a capacity of 485 seats. They were built with a maximum speed of {{convert|300|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} and 8,800&nbsp;kW of power under 25&nbsp;kV. The efficiency of the Atlantique with all seats filled has been calculated at 767 [[passenger miles per gallon|PMPG]], though with a typical occupancy of 60% it is about 460 PMPG (a Toyota Prius with three passengers is 144 PMPG).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://strickland.ca/efficiency.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301160114/http://strickland.ca/efficiency.html|url-status=dead|title=Energy Efficiency of different modes of transportation, accessed March 21, 2009|archivedate=1 March 2009}}</ref>

Modified unit 325 [[TGV world speed record|set the world speed record]] in 1990 on the LGV Atlantique before its opening. Modifications such as improved [[aerodynamics]], larger wheels and improved braking were made to enable speeds of over {{convert|500|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}. The set was reduced to two power cars and three carriages to improve the power-to-weight ratio, weighing 250 tonnes. Three carriages, including the bar carriage in the centre, is the minimum possible configuration because of the [[Jacobs bogie]]s.

===TGV Réseau===
{{Main|SNCF TGV Réseau}}
[[File:TGV Lacroix 549 Luxembourg Gare.JPG|right|thumb|A TGV-Reseau Lacroix with number 549 at the Luxembourg station]]
The first Réseau (Network) sets entered service in 1993. Fifty bi-current sets were ordered in 1990, supplemented by 40 tri-current sets in 1992/1993 (adding {{3,000 V DC}} system used on traditional lines in Belgium). Ten tri-current sets carry the [[Eurostar|Eurostar Red]] (ex-[[Thalys]]) livery and are known as the PBA (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam) sets.

They are formed of two power cars (8,800&nbsp;kW under 25&nbsp;kV – as TGV Atlantique) and eight carriages, giving a capacity of 377 seats. They have a top speed of {{convert|320|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}. They are {{convert|200|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and are {{convert|2.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide. The bi-current sets weigh 383 tonnes: owing to axle-load restrictions in Belgium the tri-current sets have a series of modifications, such as the replacement of steel with aluminum and hollow axles, to reduce the weight to under 17 t per axle.

Owing to early complaints of uncomfortable pressure changes when entering tunnels at high speed on the LGV Atlantique, the Réseau sets are now pressure-sealed. They can be coupled to a Duplex set.

===TGV Duplex===
{{Main|TGV Duplex}}
[[File:TGV double decker DSC00132.jpg|right|thumb|The TGV Duplex power cars use a more streamlined nose than previous TGVs.]]
The Duplex was built to increase TGV capacity without increasing train length or the number of trains. Each carriage has two levels, with access doors at the lower level taking advantage of low French [[railway platform|platforms]]. A staircase gives access to the upper level, where the gangway between carriages is located. There are 512 seats per set. On busy routes such as Paris-Marseille they are operated in pairs, providing 1,024 seats in two Duplex sets or 800 in a Duplex set plus a Reseau set. Each set has a wheelchair accessible compartment.

After a lengthy development process starting in 1988 (during which they were known as the TGV-2N) the original batch of 30 was built between 1995 and 1998. Further deliveries started in 2000 with the Duplex fleet now totaling 160 units, making it the backbone of the SNCF TGV-fleet. They weigh 380 tonnes and are {{convert|200|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long, made up of two power cars and eight carriages. Extensive use of aluminum means that they weigh not much more than the TGV Réseau sets they supplement. The bi-current power cars provide 8,800&nbsp;kW, and they have a slightly increased speed of {{convert|320|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}.

Duplex TGVs run on all of French high-speed lines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://electric-rly-society.org.uk/the-history-of-the-french-high-speed-rail-network-and-tgv/|author=The Electric Railway Society|title=The History of the French High Speed Rail Network and TGV|date=March 2015|access-date=2016-10-19|language=en}}</ref>

===TGV POS===
{{Main|TGV POS}}
[[File:TGV POS Nuremberg Ingolstadt.jpg|thumb|TGV POS have the newer power cars unlike a TGV Réseau.]]
TGV POS (Paris-Ostfrankreich-Süddeutschland or Paris-Eastern France-Southern Germany) are used on the LGV Est.

They consist of two Duplex power cars with eight TGV Réseau-type carriages, with a power output of 9,600&nbsp;kW and a top speed of {{convert|320|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}. Unlike TGV-A, TGV-R and TGV-D, they have asynchronous motors, and isolation of an individual motor is possible in case of failure.

===Avelia Euroduplex (TGV 2N2)===
{{Main|Euroduplex}}
[[File:Gare de Paris-Gare-de-Lyon - 2018-05-15 - IMG 7493.jpg|right|thumb|TGV 2N2 train in Paris Gare de Lyon station]]
The bi-current TGV 2N2 (Avelia Euroduplex) can be regarded as the 3rd generation of Duplex. The series was commissioned from December 2011 for links to Germany and Switzerland (tri-current trains) and to cope with the increased traffic due to the opening of the LGV Rhine-Rhone.

They are numbered from 800 and are limited to {{convert|320|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}. ERTMS makes them compatible to allow access to Spain similar to [[TGV Duplex#Dasye|Dasye]].
===TGV M Avelia Horizon===
{{Main|SNCF TGV M}}
[[File:TGV-M 997 Premier passage à Montmélian - Retour (mai 2024).JPG|right|thumb|TGV M Avelia Horizon train passing through [[Montmélian]].]]
The design that emerged from the process was named [[TGV M]], and in July 2018 SNCF ordered 100 trainsets with deliveries expected to begin in 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/sncf-confirms-tgv-of-the-future-order.html | title=SNCF confirms TGV of the Future order | magazine=Railway Gazette International | date=26 July 2018 | access-date=2 August 2018 | archive-date=27 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727000853/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/sncf-confirms-tgv-of-the-future-order.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> They are expected to cost €25 million per 8-car set.
{{Clear}}

==TGV technology outside France==
TGV technology has been adopted in a number of other countries:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.francetech.gouv.fr/biblioth/docu/dossiers/sect/pdf/ferrogb.pdf |title=French Railway Industry: The paths of excellence |publisher=DGE/[[UBIFRANCE]] |access-date=2009-05-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121004813/http://www.francetech.gouv.fr/biblioth/docu/dossiers/sect/pdf/ferrogb.pdf |archive-date=21 November 2008 }}</ref>
* [[AVE]] (''Alta Velocidad Española'') in Spain with the [[Renfe Class 100]] based on the [[SNCF TGV Atlantique|TGV Atlantique]].<ref name="Ryo Takagi">{{cite web|url=http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f04_tak.pdf|title=High-speed Railways:The last ten years|first=Ryo|last=Takagi|publisher=Japan Railway & Transport Review|access-date=2009-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081824/http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f04_tak.pdf|archive-date=20 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Eurostar]] operates international high-speed services connecting France with Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Several trainsets use TGV technology ([[British Rail Class 373|e300]], [[Thalys PBA|PBA]], [[PBKA]]).
* [[Korea Train Express]] (KTX) in South Korea with [[KTX-I]] (based on the [[SNCF TGV Réseau|TGV Réseau]]) and [[KTX-Sancheon]].<ref name="irj-kim">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_/ai_n25433622 |title=Korea develops high-speed ambitions: a thorough programme of research and development will soon deliver results for Korea's rail industry in the form of the indigenous KTX II high-speed train. Dr Kihwan Kim of the Korea Railroad Research Institute explains the development of the new train |date=May 2008 |publisher=BNET (International Railway Journal) |access-date=2008-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216045744/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_/ai_n25433622 |archive-date=16 December 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Acela Express (trainset)|Acela Express]], a high-speed [[tilting train]] built by Alstom and [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] for the [[Northeast Corridor]] in the United States. The Acela power cars use several TGV technologies including the motors, electrical/drivetrain system (rectifiers, inverters, regenerative braking technology), and [[Railway disc brake|disc brakes]]. However, they are strengthened to meet U.S. [[Federal Railroad Administration]] crash standards.<ref name="TGVweb Acela Express page">{{cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/tgvpages/acela.html |title=TGVweb Acela Express page|date=May 2009|publisher=TGVweb|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref> The Acela's tilting, non-articulated carriages are derived from the Bombardier's [[LRC (train)|LRC]] train and also meet crash standards.<ref name="TGVweb Acela Express page" />
* [[Avelia Liberty]], also known as the NextGen Acela, the replacement for the Acela Express in the United States, which entered service on August 28th, 2025.
* The [[Moroccan government]] agreed to a €2&nbsp;billion contract for [[Alstom]] to build [[Al Boraq|Al-Boraq]], an LGV between [[Tangier]] and [[Casablanca]] which opened in 2018 using [[Euroduplex|TGV Euroduplex]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2009/04/15/feature-02 |title=Engineers begin work on Moroccan high-speed rail link|date=May 2008|publisher=BNET (International Railway Journal)|access-date=2009-04-09}}</ref>

==Lines in operation==
{{Main|High-speed rail in France#Network}}
In June 2021, there were approximately {{convert|2800|km||0|abbr=on}} of ''{{lang|fr|[[High-speed rail|Lignes à Grande Vitesse]]}}'' (LGV), with four additional line sections under construction. The current lines and those under construction can be grouped into four routes radiating from Paris.

==Accidents==
{{Main|TGV accidents}}
In over four decades of operation, the TGV has not recorded a single passenger fatality in an accident on normal, high-speed service. There have been several accidents, including four derailments at or above {{convert|270|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}}, but in only one of these—a test run on a new line—did carriages overturn.

This safety record is credited in part to the stiffness that the articulated design lends to the train. There have been fatal accidents involving TGVs on ''lignes classiques'', where the trains are exposed to the same dangers as normal trains, such as [[level crossing]]s. These include one [[Terrorism|terrorist bombing]] unrelated to the speed at which the train was traveling.

===On LGVs===
* 14 December 1992: TGV 920 from Annecy to Paris, operated by set 56, derailed at {{convert|270|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} at Mâcon-Loché TGV station ([[Saône-et-Loire]]). A previous emergency stop had caused a wheel flat; the bogie concerned derailed while crossing the [[railroad switch|points]] at the entrance to the station. No one on the train was injured, but 25 passengers waiting on the platform for another TGV were slightly injured by ballast that was thrown up from the trackbed.
* 21 December 1993: TGV 7150 from Valenciennes to Paris, operated by set 511, derailed at {{convert|300|km/h|4=0|abbr=on}} at the site of Haute Picardie TGV station, before it was built. Rain had caused a hole to open up under the track; the hole dated from the [[First World War]] but had not been detected during construction. The front power car and four carriages derailed but remained aligned with the track. Of the 200 passengers, one was slightly injured.
* 5 June 2000: Eurostar 9073 from Paris to London, operated by sets 3101/2 owned by the [[National Railway Company of Belgium]], derailed at {{convert|250|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} in the [[Nord-Pas de Calais]] region near [[Croisilles, Pas-de-Calais|Croisilles]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.trainweb.org/tgvpages/wrecks.html | title=TGV Accidents  | publisher=trainweb.org | date=1 May 2009}}</ref> The transmission assembly on the rear bogie of the front power car failed, with parts falling onto the track. Four bogies out of 24 derailed. Out of 501 passengers, seven were bruised<ref>''[https://archive.today/20071001045449/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/ap/605638911.html?did=605638911&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Jun+5,+2000&author=&pub=Associated+Press&desc=Eurostar+derails,+seven+passengers+bruised Eurostar derails; seven passengers bruised]'' [[Associated Press]] (5 June 2000), Retrieved 24 November 2005</ref> and others treated for shock.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/778669.stm |title=Eurostar train derails in France | work = [[BBC News]] |access-date=2009-05-10 | date=5 June 2000}}</ref>
* 14 November 2015: TGV 2369 was involved in the [[Eckwersheim derailment]], near Strasbourg, while being tested on the then-unopened second phase of the LGV Est. The derailment resulted in 11 deaths among those aboard, while 11 others aboard the train were seriously injured.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-34825385/at-least-11-killed-in-french-tgv-high-speed-train-crash|title=At least 11 killed in rail crash in France|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-12-20}}</ref> Excessive speed has been cited as the cause.<ref name=dna>{{cite news|url=http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2015/11/14/un-train-se-renverse-et-prend-feu-a-eckwersheim-pres-de-strasbourg|title=Une rame d'essai d'un TGV se renverse et prend feu à Eckwersheim, près de Strasbourg : cinq morts|language=fr|newspaper=Dernieres Nouvelles D'Alsace|date=14 November 2015|last1=Bach|first1=Christian|last2=Poivret|first2=Aurélien}}</ref>

===On classic lines===
* 31 December 1983: A bomb allegedly planted by the terrorist organisation of [[Carlos the Jackal]] exploded on board a TGV from Marseille to Paris; two people were killed.
*28 September 1988: TGV 736, operated by set 70 "Melun", collided with a lorry carrying an electric transformer weighing 100 tonnes that had become stuck on a level crossing in [[Voiron]], Isère. The vehicle had not obtained the required crossing permit from the French ''Direction départementale de l'équipement''. The weight of the lorry caused a very violent collision; the train driver and a passenger died, and 25 passengers were slightly injured.
* 4 January 1991: after a brake failure, TGV 360 ran away from Châtillon depot. The train was directed onto an unoccupied track and collided with the car loading ramp at Paris-Vaugirard station at {{convert|60|km/h|abbr=on}}. No one was injured. The leading power car and the first two carriages were severely damaged, and were rebuilt.
* 25 September 1997: TGV 7119 from Paris to [[Dunkerque]], operated by set 502, collided at {{convert|130|km/h|abbr=on}} with a 70 tonne asphalt paving machine on a level crossing at Bierne, near Dunkerque. The power car spun round and fell down an embankment. The front two carriages left the track and came to a stop in woods beside the track. Seven people were injured.
* 31 October 2001: TGV 8515 from Paris to Irun derailed at {{convert|130|km/h|abbr=on}} near [[Dax, Landes|Dax]] in southwest France. All ten carriages derailed and the rear power unit fell over. The cause was a broken rail.
* 30 January 2003: a TGV from Dunkerque to Paris collided at {{convert|106|km/h|abbr=on}} with a heavy goods vehicle stuck on the level crossing at Esquelbecq in northern France. The front power car was severely damaged, but only one bogie derailed. Only the driver was slightly injured.
* 19 December 2007: a TGV from Paris to Geneva collided at about {{convert|100|km/h|abbr=on}} with a truck on a level crossing near [[Tossiat]] in eastern France, near the Swiss border. The driver of the truck died; on the train, one person was seriously injured and 24 were slightly injured.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL1955864420071219 |title=French TGV train hits lorry and kills one |publisher=Reuters UK |date=19 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207155431/http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL1955864420071219 |archive-date=7 December 2008}}</ref>
* 17 July 2014: a [[TER]] train ran into the rear of a TGV [[Denguin rail crash|at Denguin, Pyrénées-Atlantiques]]. Forty people were injured.

Following the number of accidents at level crossings, an effort has been made to remove all level crossings on ''lignes classiques'' used by TGVs. The ''ligne classique'' from [[Tours]] to [[Bordeaux]] at the end of the LGV Atlantique has no level crossings as a result.

==Protests against the TGV==
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 that trains could keep using existing lines to reach Marseille from Lyon.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2 June 1990 |title= High-Speed Protest |url= https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg12617192.800 |access-date= 15 November 2005 |magazine= New Scientist  |archive-date=17 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071217083818/https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg12617192.800 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Turin–Lyon high-speed railway]] ([[Lyon]]-[[Chambéry]]-[[Turin]]), which would connect the TGV network to the Italian [[Treno Alta Velocità|TAV]] network, has been the subject of demonstrations in Italy. While most Italian political parties agree on the construction of this line, some inhabitants of the towns where construction would take place oppose it vehemently.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} The concerns put forward by the protesters centre on storage of dangerous materials mined during tunnel boring, like [[asbestos]] and perhaps [[uranium]], in the open air.{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} This health danger could be avoided by using more expensive techniques for handling radioactive materials.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} A six-month delay in the start of construction has been decided in order to study solutions. In addition to the concerns of the residents, RFB – a ten-year-old national movement – opposes the development of Italy's [[Treno Alta Velocità|TAV]] [[high-speed rail]] network as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 November 2005|title=Environmental Protesters Block French-Italian Railway|url=http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/33266/story.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007155404/http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/33266/story.htm|archive-date=2007-10-07|access-date=1 November 2005|website=planetark.com}}</ref>

General complaints about the noise of TGVs passing near towns and villages have led the SNCF to build acoustic fencing along large sections of LGV to reduce the disturbance to residents, but protests still take place where SNCF has not addressed the issue.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Davey|first=Tom|title=Train à grande vitesse causes distress|url=http://www.esemag.com/1101/1101ed.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116124028/http://www.esemag.com/1101/1101ed.html|archive-date=16 January 2010|access-date=24 November 2005|website=www.esemag.com}}</ref>

On July 26 2024, the opening day of the 2024 Olympics, the TGV was hit by an arson attack. At least 800,000 people were affected by this. The Eurostar was specifically hit by this with 25% of trains canceled.

==Mail services==
In addition to its standard services, mail delivery services were also operated by TGVs.

For many years, a service termed [[SNCF TGV La Poste]] transported mail for the French mail service, [[La Poste (France)|La Poste]]. It used windowless but otherwise standard TGV rolling stock, painted in the yellow and blue livery of La Poste. However, the service ceased in June 2015.

==Mobile hospital service==
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], several TGV trains were transformed into mobile hospitals, in order to transport critically ill patients from overwhelmed hospitals in the East of France to hospitals in the West.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-03-26|title=High-speed 'hospital': Train transports France's coronavirus patients|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200326-high-speed-hospital-train-transports-france-s-coronavirus-patients|access-date=2023-02-12|website=France 24}}</ref>

Every coach allowed for up to 6 patients, allowing for the transport of several dozen patients, attended by a staff of 50 medical workers. Although the train moves at high speed, it accelerates and decelerates smoothly, allowing for medical procedures to be performed during transport.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Romero|first=Luiz|date=2020-04-03|title=Photos: Hospitalized coronavirus patients are being moved out of Paris by train|url=https://qz.com/1831937/photos-coronavirus-patients-leave-paris-by-train-to-alleviate-its-strained-hospitals/|access-date=2023-02-12|website=Quartz}}</ref>

==Rebranding==
Since July 2017, TGV services are gradually being rebranded as '''[[TGV inOui]]''' and '''[[Ouigo]]''' in preparation for the opening of the French HSR market to competition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SNCF to rebrand TGV services as 'inOui'|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/sncf-to-rebrand-tgv-services-as-inoui/44570.article|date=2017-05-27 |access-date=2023-02-12|website=Railway Gazette International}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-30|title=SNCF rebrands TGV as "inOui"|url=https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/high-speed/sncf-rebrands-tgv-as-inoui/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=International Railway Journal|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-30|title=SNCF confirms new InOui name for TGV|url=https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2017/05/30/sncf-confirms-new-inoui-name-tgv/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=businesstraveller.com}}</ref>

=== TGV inOui ===
{{Main|TGV inOui}}
TGV inOui is SNCF's premium high-speed rail service. The name inOui was chosen because it sounds like the French word ''inouï'' meaning "extraordinary" (or more literally, "unheard of").<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why we renamed TGV service 'inOui'|url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/People/Interviews/Why-we-renamed-TGV-service-inOui|website=The Connexion|access-date=2020-05-28|archive-date=5 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205093513/https://www.connexionfrance.com/People/Interviews/Why-we-renamed-TGV-service-inOui|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Ouigo ===
{{Main|Ouigo}}
[[Ouigo]] is SNCF's low-cost high-speed rail service. Trains have a high-density one-class configuration and reduced on-board services. The services traditionally operate from less busy secondary stations, sometimes outside of the city centre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SNCF: les TGV low-cost Ouigo désormais au départ de Paris|url=https://bfmbusiness.bfmtv.com/entreprise/sncf-les-tgv-low-cost-ouigo-desormais-au-depart-de-paris-1323918.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210210122/http://bfmbusiness.bfmtv.com/entreprise/sncf-les-tgv-low-cost-ouigo-desormais-au-depart-de-paris-1323918.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2017|access-date=2020-02-15|website=BFM BUSINESS|language=fr}}</ref> The literal translation of the brand name is "yes go", but the name is also a play on the English homonym, "we go".

==See also==
{{Portal|France|Trains}}
* [[High-speed rail in France]]
** [[iDTGV]]
** [[TER-GV]] – TGVs operating on relatively short distances along the [[LGV Nord]]
** [[TGV track construction]]
** [[TGV world speed record]] – overview and chronology of speed record attempts
** [[SNCF TGV POS|V150 (train)]]
* [[High-speed rail in Europe]]
** [[AVE]]
** [[Intercity-Express|ICE]]
** [[Frecciarossa]]
** [[SBB RABe 501|Giruno]]
** [[Pendolino]] / [[New Pendolino]]
** [[X 2000]]
** [[YHT]]
* [[Rail transport in Europe]]
* [[Train categories in Europe]]

==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=It's a knockout|first=Geoffrey Freeman|last=Allen|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=EMAP National Publications|date=December 1981 – January 1982|pages=34–37|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
*{{cite magazine|title=What's in a TGV?|first=Basil|last=Cooper|pages=18–20|date=January 1983|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=EMAP National Publications|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
*{{cite magazine|title=TGV: the completion of a dream|first=Brian|last=Perren|pages=32–40|date=October 1983|magazine=[[Rail (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=EMAP National Publications|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
*Cinotti, Eric and Tréboul, Jean-Baptiste (2000) ''Les TGV européens : Eurostar, Thalys'', Paris : Presses universitaires de France, {{ISBN|2-13-050565-1}} (in French)
*Perren, Brian (2000) ''TGV handbook'', 2nd ed., Harrow Weald : Capital Transport, {{ISBN|1-85414-195-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Malaspina|first=Jean-Pierre|title=Des TEE aux TGV|trans-title=TEE to TGV|series=Trains d'Europe|volume=1|year=2005|publisher=La Vie du Rail|location=Paris|isbn=2915034486|language=fr}}
*Soulié, Claude and Tricoire, Jean (2002). ''Le grand livre du TGV'', Paris: La Vie du Rail, {{ISBN|2-915034-01-X}} {{in lang|fr}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|TGV}}
* {{Official website|http://www.sncf.com/en|Official SNCF Website}} (in English)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130705224415/http://www.tgv.com/EN Archived TGV Website] (in English)

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[[Category:TGV| ]]
[[Category:SNCF brands]]
[[Category:High-speed rail in France]]
[[Category:High-speed trains]]
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[[Category:Rail transport in Europe]]
[[Category:Railway services introduced in 1981]]
[[Category:Land speed records]]
[[Category:Railteam]]
[[Category:Rail transport brands]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in France]]