New French High-Speed Rail Line
France’s new high-speed rail line is one of the most recent examples of Europe’s desire to modernize it’s huge rail network. While flying has become a lot more common in Europe, trains are trying to regain some travellers. French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and European business leaders made the first journey on the new rail line, which starts in Paris and ends in Strasbourg. The new line will reduce travel time by 1 hour and 40 minutes compared to the current situation.
France cut the ribbon Thursday on a super-fast new rail line that will see trains shooting from Paris to the eastern city of Strasbourg at a record speed of 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour.
Transport Minister Dominique Perben, traveling with dozens of French business leaders and guests, made the inaugural eastbound journey from Paris Thursday on board the new TGV-Est, ahead of a lavish evening ceremony.
Some 3,000 torches were due to light up in a wave along the entire 300 kilometers of the rail line in a spectacular pyrotechnic show broadcast on national television.
Pride of French engineering, the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) — which turned 25 last year — is one of the world’s fastest rail services, along with Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train connecting Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka and Germany’s ICE (Inter-City Express).
Read the full article at the Deutsche Welle clicking here.
Administrator @ March 21, 2007