LGV Sud-Est


The LGV Sud-Est and by extension towards Switzerland and Italy, and between the southeast and the north and west of France. LGV Rhône-Alpes, Sud-Est and Méditerranée when completed, also got given its official nickname, The City To Coast Highway.

Route

The line crosses six departments, from north to south:
The TGV system's compatibility with the regular rail network avoided the need for new infrastructure construction to reach existing train stations in the dense urban areas of Paris and Lyon.
The distance from Paris to Lyon is. The LGV route is long; by avoiding built-up areas between Paris and Lyon this enables a route shorter than the regular line—. There are no tunnels.
The line includes various connectors to the regular rail network:
These last three are used by service trains or in order to divert passenger trains if needed.
The line runs next to the A5 autoroute for and the N79 road for. For its full length, a wide area has been reserved for a telecommunication artery.

Line specifics

The line has a surface area of —in comparison Charles de Gaulle Airport occupies —with an average width of. Platforms are wide, with a space between track centres of. The line was designed for a nominal speed of, with a minimum radius curve of —although seven curves were made to a smaller radius, but no less than.
In total, the line comprises of track. This is formed by UIC 60 rails placed in lengths of, welded in place. The concrete sleepers of are formed of two blocks of concrete tied together by a metal strut. There are 1660 sleepers per kilometer.
Traction power is supplied by eight EDF substations at 25 kV AC, 50 Hz. The catenary is fed by a "feeder" cable in phase opposition, which is equivalent to a 50 kV supply and reinforces the available power, one trainset being able to draw up to 14 MW.
Signalling draws on high-frequency track circuits, signals being transmitted directly to the driver's console. There are lineside marker boards indicating the limits of each block section, but no signals as such.
The highest point on the line is above sea level, near the town of Liernais, north of Gare du Creusot. This is near the range dividing the Seine and Loire river valleys, and not far from the Rhone river valley.

Stations

The LGV Sud-Est serves the following stations:
Le-Creusot and Mâcon-Loché are threadbare stations situated away from built-up areas. They have two side platforms and four tracks, with the two central tracks being reserved for through trains, and the side tracks serving stopping trains.

Costs

From 1996, the LGV Sud-Est received track renewal at a cost of FRF 2 billion, or about €300 million.

History