France ups the speed of its high-speed trains

France’s TGV (whose name is the French abbreviation for ‘high speed train’ got a bit faster this week, with the arrival of a new series of cars and locomotives.

The new trains cut the trip from Paris to Bordeaux from 4 hours to 3, and are capable of cruising along at 320 km/h, or 200 mph. The new series, dubbed “Océane” has a number of other upgrades as well, including 

  • on-board WiFi throughout
  • real-time status displays, including location and speed
  • individual AC and USB ports
  • more wheelchair accommodations and ‘benches’ for group travel
  • increased baggage space

The trains also have more seats…22% more…which will allow the railroad to catch up with increasing passenger numbers on many routes. The increased speed also means faster turnaround; when all the new trains have arrived, there will be 33 roundtrips a day between Paris and Bordeaux.

Photo: First train, decorated by artists at opening ceremony (SNCF photo)

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