TGV Lyria

Lyria is a subsidiary of the Société nationale des chemins de fer français ( SNCF) and the Swiss Federal Railways ( SBB), which operate the TGV between Paris and Switzerland. At the company under French law and headquartered in Paris, SNCF has a 74 % stake, the SBB 26%.

Historical Overview

A pair of trains per day combined from the summer of 1961 with Milan Paris via Lausanne in the form of the TEE Cisalpin (not to be confused with the later Cisalpino trains). This was operated on 22 January 1984, the SNCF and SBB together with three system - driven TGV and condensed on the path of Paris -Lausanne compounds Cisalpin, Champs -Elysees, Lemano and Lutetia replaced. On May 31, the 1987 offering of the newly created Euro City train type is assigned and supplemented by direct rates between Paris and Bern.

On 23 May 1993, the GIE " TGV France- Suisse" was established to manage the trains between Paris and Lausanne respectively Bern. The Paris- Geneva on Lyon was since inception in 1981 as an internal French connection and it remained initially unaffected. In winter 1995/1996 a circulation of Lausanne was first Saturdays extended to Brig, this Wintersportzug received - similar to the French domestic TGV trains winter sports - the name " TGV des Neiges ". September 28, 1997 were the traits of the GIE " TGV France- Suisse" brand image " Ligne de Coeur ', on which the nine three -TGV system have been adjusted; also was first extended in the same year round daily to Zurich.

In 1999 further extensions range, a second " TGV des Neiges " and a second daily flight to Zurich. The company was converted into the " Rail France Suisse SAS '. In the years 2001 and 2002 more " TGV des Neiges " and a first summer connection to Brig were introduced. On 4 March 2002, from the " Rail France Suisse" finally " Lyria ", which also as a brand name took the place of the " Ligne de Coeur ". Since January 2005, also includes the marketing of existing since 1981 TGV Geneva - Paris relation to the remit of Lyria.

Compounds

The following compounds in the Roadmap 2013 are TGV Lyria services:

• Interlaken Ost -Bern -Dijon - Paris ( a circulation daily, about 5 hours 03 minutes travel time)
• Lausanne- Dijon - Paris ( four rounds daily, about 3 hours 40 minutes travel time)
• Brig -Lausanne -Dijon - Paris ( weekend links « Lyria des Neiges " and " Lyria d' été ", about 6 hours travel time)
• Geneva -Bourg -en- Bresse Paris ( nine rounds daily, about 3 hours 05 minutes travel time)
• Zurich -Basel -Mulhouse- Paris ( six rounds daily, about 4 hours 03 minutes travel time)
• Genf-Lyon-Part-Dieu-Marseille/Nice (two / one trains / train to Marseille / Nice, about 3 hours 30 minutes / 6 hours 20 minutes travel time)
• Geneva - Lyon-Part- Dieu- Montpellier ( a circulation daily, about 3 hours 50 minutes travel time)
• Lille- Geneva -Brig ( a round on Saturdays from December to April, about 7 hours 06 minutes travel time)

In the TGV Lyria is guided by the company Wagon Lits ( " Tout & Bien "), an expanded restaurant offering consisting of a bar car, a mobile Railbar and at-seat service in first class. During the trip to Paris -Gare de Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier Reservations for taxis are offered exclusively to customers in the first class.

On the relation Geneva - Paris is in 2008, the average occupancy of trains around 78 percent; the market share is compared with a plane at around 50 percent.

Rolling stock

For connections to Lausanne and Bern Nine TGV Sud -Est were ( PSE) with three-system equipment used. Of these nine TGV 110-118 includes seven SNCF and two SBB (TGV 112 and 114 ), the latter due to participation in Lyria. In 2005 and 2006, all nine Lyria PSE were modernized analogous to the conventional two system PSE. Since December 2012, these trains are no longer used and were shut down.

The maximum speed of the trains is 300 km / h ( before upgrading 270 km / h ) on the PSE high-speed line between Paris and at Valenton Aisy in Burgundy, west of Dijon. Due to a technical limitation of the speed limit is in operation at 15 kV only 160 km / h May be driving this speed in Switzerland only a few places.

For connections to Geneva classic two-system fittings are used, usually TGV PSE or double deck TGV Duplex.

On the line Zurich -Basel -Strasbourg- Paris perverted since 10 June 2007, the modern TGV POS (Paris- Eastern France - Southern Germany ) with the numbers 4401-4419 (TGV 4406 is part of the SBB). This TGV reached on the new line LGV Est européenne between vaires ( near Paris ) and Baudrecourt ( in Lorraine), a top speed of 320 km / h The interior design of these trains was designed by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. Since December 2011, the trains on the LGV Rhin -Rhône.

Since 2012, operating on the Paris -Basel ( - Zurich ) route, the double-decker EUR Duplex trains. By the end of 2013, the operator Lyria want there to replace all TGV POS. Together with TGV POS trains that traveled to southern Germany for Alleo until the end of 2012, the freed TGV POS are provided for use on the other Lyria connections from Paris to Switzerland, where they replaced the TGV PSE. Since August 2012, at TGV POS trains in a new paint job on the line Paris -Lausanne. All 19 TGV POS should be for Lyria in use.

The maintenance of trains, including the three railcars owned by SBB, SNCF responsible.

Network expansion

By 2009, the route Vallorbe / Pontarlier -Dijon has been upgraded. A better power supply and stretched curves allow a higher cruise speed, which allows a gain in time of about 15 minutes between Paris and Bern / Lausanne.

An improvement was made in June 2009, which was achieved by renewing the conventional route in the Haut- Bugey between Bourg -en- Bresse and Bellegarde and about 30 minutes saving between Geneva and Paris brought (the new travel time for Paris -Geneva is then only about three hours, similar to the relation Paris - Marseille). The number of connections has been increased from seven to nine.

The commissioning of the new LGV Rhin -Rhône between Mulhouse and Dijon took place in late 2011 and shortened by 30 minutes journey between Paris and Basel- Zurich compared to the route via Strasbourg, so that Paris was then reached in four hours from Zurich.

On the Swiss side of the new building of the Ross Homes tunnel will bring on the Berne - Neuchâtel another time saving between Bern and Paris also. Commissioning is scheduled for 2016. The compound Bern- Paris is led from the timetable change in December 2013, Basel; thus, the journey time is shortened by 40 minutes.