LGV Méditerranée

The LGV Méditerranée, à grande vitesse short for Ligne Méditerranée, a high-speed line in France. It connects the regions of Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur and Languedoc- Roussillon to the LGV Rhône -Alpes ( and continue with Lyon and the North of France ). The route is 250 km long, the construction costs amounted to 3.8 billion euros. Since opening in June 2001, the drive between the 750 km takes between distant cities Paris and Marseille only three hours. The TGV trains have replaced on this relation, two-thirds of the existing air traffic.

As a continuation of the LGV Méditerranée Eastern LGV Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur is planned, while west of Nîmes LGV Languedoc-Roussillon is to be built as a link to LGV Perpignan - Figueres.

• 3.1 Start-up
• 3.2 Operation

Course

There are traversed six departments; from north to south are the Drôme, Gard, Vaucluse and Bouches -du -Rhône. The route begins at Saint -Marcel- lès -Valence and immediately followed by the LGV Rhône -Alpes. Immediately afterwards they crossed the old route Valence -Grenoble; the local tower Valence TGV train station enables a rapid transition to trains to Valence, Grenoble and Romans- sur -Isère. In a Crest unloading, is on track Briançon - Livron- sur -Drôme, but which is used only in emergencies.

The LGV then extends southwestward and approaches the Rhone. In Montelimar it meets the A7 motorway and follow it for about 20 km. After crossing the Canal de Donzère - Mondragon, a side channel of the Rhone follows at Pierrelatte a further unloading, the PLM route that also serves only emergencies. In Mornas the Rhône is crossed twice in quick succession, north of Roquemaure a third time.

In Les Angles branches the route in a south-western and south-eastern branch of one, the latter being also connected with each other ( "Triangle of the Angles "). The southwestern branch is generally considered the first portion of a future LGV Languedoc -Roussillon; it is 21 km long and strikes at Beaucaire on the existing route Tarascon- Nîmes. Originally, the branch should lead up to Lattes, near Montpellier; this section but was postponed in September 1995 for reasons of cost for now. The construction of the extension to Montpellier have started the end of 2013, commissioning is to take place in late 2017.

The south-eastern branch crosses the Rhone. The connecting curve from Montpellier to Avignon crossed at the same place the Rhône - the viaducts on both routes run in parallel. After that, the new station Avignon TGV is achieved. The route then follows the Durance river and crosses it between Cavaillon and Orgon. The route serves the station Aix -en- Provence TGV, crosses the 8 km long Tunnel de Marseille and reaches in the northern districts of Marseille, the classic route.

In the city of Marseille lie on a 7.7km section three breakpoints for regional traffic on the route tracks.

The top speed of 300 km / h is reached in curve radii from 4.000 m. The branch " Les Angles " gen Nimes / Montpeiller is passable with 220 km / h.

Engineering Structures

Because of its route in pre-alpine terrain, the LGV Méditerranée has a high number of engineering structures. Some stand out because of their size or their construction. The most important engineering structures from north to south are:

• Tunnel de la Galaure ( 2686 m)
• Tunnel de Tartaiguille (2340 m)
• Grenette viaduct ( 947 m)
• Mornas viaduct ( 887 m)
• Mondragon viaduct ( 637 m)
• Roquemaure viaduct (680 m)
• Double Viaduct Les Angles at Avignon ( 1573 m).
• Cavaillon Viaduct ( 1500 m)
• Viaduct Cheval Blanc ( 994 m)
• Orgone viaduct ( 942 m)
• Vernègues Viaduct (1210 m)
• Ventabren Viaduct ( 1730 m ); this viaduct begins in the south after crossing the Canal de Marseille and runs on the A8 and the departmental road D10; the site served as the backdrop for the film Taxi
• Tunnel de Marseille ( 7834 m); the longest fully located in France tunnel

A total of 17,155 m of the course are in the tunnel.

Stations

Are located on the LGV Méditerranée three railway stations:

• Valence TGV; 9 km northeast of Valence and 8 km southwest of Romans- sur -Isère in Saint -Marcel- lès -Valence
• Avignon TGV; 3 km south of the center of Avignon
• Aix -en- Provence TGV; 15 km southwest of Aix -en -Provence, and 8 kilometers east of Vitrolles

History

Commissioning

On 3 October 2000 test runs began with the TGV Réseau trainset 531, which was equipped for the rides with measuring equipment. In order to achieve the necessary reduction speeds software of the drive controller has been modified to increase the power per traction motor of 1100 to 1400 kW. The track has been removed by the AEF. To this end, the tracks were gradually worked at speeds of 100, 220, 260, 300 and 350 km / h. In the final acceptance drive, on 20 April 2001, 330 km / h were achieved in the presence of representatives of SNCF and RFF.

In a demonstration ride for invited guests ( including SNCF president Louis Gallois and RFF - General Francois Bernard ) was driving a TGV Réseau ( unit 531 ) of Aix -en- Provence TGV to Valence TGV with an average speed of 350 km / h

On 26 May 2001, known as Opération Sardine long distance world record led across the track. South of Valence was doing with 366.6 km / h is the maximum speed of the record run.

On 7 June 2001 the route by President Jacques Chirac was officially opened.

On 10 June 2001, the company was demanding on the previously recorded and most expensive French high- speed line. The travel times between Lyon and Marseille went with it from 160 to 100 minutes back, between Paris and Marseille ( 740 km) from 260 to 180 minutes and between Marseille and Geneva from 270 to 210 minutes. In addition to the LGV Méditerranée it was also a 22 -km-long high-speed railway section from the branch Les Angles (west of Avignon ) in the space Nîmes in operation. With the start of the route, the total length of the French high-speed network increased to 1520 km. Due to the distance, among other things, the journey time between London and Marseille shortened to seven hours.

The commissioning was marked by various infrastructure problems. Among other things, the route control center fell from Marseille.

Operation

In the second year of operation, passenger numbers remained on the track behind the forecasts. Instead of the expected 20 million passengers only 18.5 million travelers were counted.

Technology

The superstructure of the track consists of UIC -60 rails lying on approximately 850,000 concrete sleepers and about 2.4 million tons of gravel. The longest of the 126 points have a length of 211 m: on and can be driven at 230 km / h ( 41 m tongues ).

In the course of test runs and the effect of crosswinds in the Rhone Valley in 2001 was examined, which may on the up to 53 m high artificial structures reach up to 200 km / hr. This resulted in the need to reduce the speed limit as a function of the wind speed; at 190 km / h Wind speed the speed limit is reduced to 80 km / hr.