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LGV Nord

French high-speed railway / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Ligne à Grande Vitesse Nord (English : North High-Speed Line), typically shortened to LGV Nord, is a French 333-kilometre (207 mi)-long high-speed rail line, opened in 1993, that connects Paris to the Belgian border and the Channel Tunnel via Lille.

Quick facts: LGV Nord, Overview, Status, Owner, Locale...
LGV Nord
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Eurostar north of Watten
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerSNCF Réseau
LocaleFrance (Hauts-de-France,
Île-de-France)
Termini
Stations4
Service
TypeHigh-speed rail
SystemSNCF
Operator(s)Eurostar
SNCF
Thalys
Rolling stockClass 373 "e300" Alstom TGV TMST
Class 374 "e320" Siemens Velaro
Eurotunnel Class 0001
Thalys fleet
TGV fleet
History
Opened1993
Technical
Line length333 km (207 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track throughout + loops
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Loading gaugeUIC GC
Electrification25 kV AC 50 Hz OHLE
Operating speed300 km/h (190 mph)
SignallingTVM-430
Route map

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Close

With a maximum speed of 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph), the line appreciably shortened rail journeys between Paris and Lille. Its extensions to the north (Belgium, the Channel Tunnel) and the south (via the LGV Interconnexion Est) have reduced journey times to Great Britain and Benelux and for inter-regional trips between the Nord (Pas de Calais) region and the southeast and southwest of France. Its route is twinned with the A1 for 130 kilometres (81 mi), which is why it was given its official nickname, the A1 Highway. As it is mostly built in flat areas, the maximum incline is 25 metres per kilometre (2.5‰).

Of all French high-speed lines, the LGV Nord sees the widest variety of high-speed rolling stock: the TGV POS, TGV Réseau, TGV Atlantique, TGV Duplex, Eurostar e300, Eurostar e320, Thalys PBA and PBKA as well as rolling stock on local trains. Traffic is controlled by the Lille rail traffic centre.