Le Capitole (train)
Le Capitole, 2nd generation in Paris Austerlitz
- Rapide (1960-1970)
- Trans Europe Express (1970-1984)
- Rapide (1984-1991)
- Lok: BB 9200 (1960-1967)
- Wgn: DEV- Inox (1960-1967)
- Lok: BB 9200 Capitole ( 1967-1970 )
- Wgn: UIC -Y (1967-1970)
- Lok: CC 6500 (1970-1991)
- Wgn: Voiture Gran Confort (1970-1991)
Path of the Capitole (red orange ), Section 200 km / h ( orange). Successor TGV ( black blue ), Section LGV (blue)
The Le Capitole (even short Capitole called ) was a famous long-distance train the French railway SNCF which connected Paris with Toulouse via Limoges.
First generation: BB 9200 with DEV Inox cars and CIWL dining car (160 km / h)
The Capitole traveling on the Paris, Orléans, Limoges, Brive- la -Gaillarde, Cahors, Montauban, Toulouse on 15 November 1960. Initially the train for the 713 km long route from Paris to Toulouse took 7 hours. He was first of all cars, 1st class of type DEV- Inox, a CIWL dining car and a baggage car together and covered with a BB electric locomotive number 9200. Locomotive and baggage car were painted green, the dining car was wearing the blue CIWL paint and the seat cars were unpainted.
Second generation: BB 9200 with UIC -Y - car (200 km / h)
From 28 May 1967, the distance allowed on the 100- km section between Les Aubrais - Orléans, Vierzon a speed of 200 km / h For this purpose, new cars for the type UIC -Y were introduced ( first class, half baggage car and dining car ), the four locomotives BB 9278, 9281, 9289 and 9288 were upgraded with modified bogies and new pantographs for 200 km / h and the last two production locomotives BB 9291 and BB 9292 built directly for a top speed of 250 km / hr. Locomotives and cars were given a red coat with white stripe below the windows, on each car and on a panel on the front of the locomotive of the train name was written. The journey time could be reduced to 6 hours; the Capitole was the first European train, the planned 200 km / h reached.
From 1967-1970 saw the car sequence of the " Le Capitole " usually as follows: A9, A9, A7D, A9, Vru, A9, A9, A9, A9 A9: compartment car, 1st class type UIC -Y with 9 compartments A7D: compartment car, 1st class type UIC -Y with 7 compartments and luggage compartment Vru: dining-car
In the winter timetable 1968 a second Capitole train pair was established. The trains were then called Le Capitole Le Capitole du Matin or du Soir.
Third generation: CC 6500 with Grand- Confort - car (200 km / h)
On September 27, 1970, the Capitole has been upgraded to the single - TEA, to this end, new coaches of the type Grand Confort ( compartment car, space car, dining car, bar car, half baggage car with generator ) were introduced, the traction took over newly delivered locomotives of the series CC 6500th locomotive and cars were metal painted gray with red window band and orange guard stripes; each car was carrying a sign saying Trans Europe Express over the windows. Also on the CC 6500 a plaque was placed Capitole at the front.
Timetable of the " Le Capitole " TEA 74/75 ( " the morning" ) and TEA 76/77 ( " evening " ):
( " Du Matin " )
( " Du Soir " )
( " Du Matin " )
( " Du Soir " )
Decline and replacement
Since 23 May 1982, the pair of trains TEA 75/76 resulted in addition to the first class and the second class, to this end, some Grand Confort - cars were umbestuhlt: The compartment cars were in the same compartment size eight seats per compartment, the Großraumwagen a new 2 2 seating without regard to the window pitch. The TEA panels were removed, marked the 2nd class car with a green stripe. On September 29, 1984, the Capitole ran no more than TEA, but as a normal express ( Rapide ). With the introduction of the second TGV service between Paris and Toulouse in September 1991, he was officially canceled.
The term "Le Capitole " remained colloquially especially to delineate these once perceived as exemplary throughout Europe Direct Express link from Paris to Limoges and Toulouse from the TGV Atlantique, which operates not on Limoges, but over Bordeaux. On 24 September 1995, the Grand Confort - cars were replaced by Corail car.
In the late 1990s the acceleration of the route via Limoges by tilting was talking. For this purpose, a TGV was tentatively reconstructed on tilting technology and tested from 1998 to 2000. The plans were not put into action, the test train again converted to serial execution.
Currently (2012 ) there are eight daily trains between Paris and Toulouse, two day trains ( Corail ) and a night train ( Lunéa ) via Limoges and five TGV via Bordeaux. The Corail trains take between six and a half days and seven hours of Lunéa nearly eight hours while the TGV travels the route via the LGV Atlantique in five and a half hours.