2007: The Start of Commercial Service for a High-Speed Rail Line in France

June 10, 2007

The first section of the LGV Est-Européenne (LGV Est) was opened for commercial service the day after that high-speed rail line made its inaugural voyage. An extension of the French high-speed rail network, this line has significantly cut travel times between Paris and major cities in eastern France. The LGV Est has similarly reduced the time it takes to travel from Paris to Luxembourg as well as cities in both Germany and Switzerland. At the time of its debut, the LGV Est was hailed by French Prime Minister François Fillon as “a symbol that gives confidence in the future.”

That first segment of LGV Est covers a total of 186 miles (300 kilometers) between the commune of Vaires-sur-Marne and Bandrecourt. The second segment, which was completed in 2016, covers 65.9 miles (106 kilometers) from Baudrecourt to the commune of Vendenheim.

Photo Credit: Ketounette (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

Additional information on the LGV Est-Européenne (LGV Est) is available at https://www.railwaygazette.com/high-speed/lgv-est-phase-2-opening-completes-paris-strasbourg-high-speed-line/42754.article