SNCF TGV Sud-Est
| Company type | Trainset |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | SNCF, Alstom, Francorail |
| Defunct | 2019 |
| Fate | Retired |
| Successor | TGV POS |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France, Switzerland |
| Products | High-speed trains |
| Owner | SNCF |
| Parent | SNCF |
The SNCF TGV Sud-Est was a pioneering French high-speed TGV train, manufactured by Alstom and Francorail and operated by France's national railway company, SNCF. Between 1978 and 1988, a total of 111 trainsets were assembled to inaugurate the TGV service on the LGV Sud-Est line, which linked Paris with Lyon starting in 1981. Each trainset, semi-permanently coupled, consisted of two power cars and eight articulated passenger coaches—this increased to ten coaches for tri-voltage variants. These trains took their name from the Ligne à Grande Vitesse Sud-Est (Southeast high-speed line) and were also referred to as TGV-PSE (Paris Sud-Est).
History
Constructed over a decade from 1978 to 1988, the TGV Sud-Est fleet launched the initial TGV route between Paris and Lyon in 1981. The original fleet included 107 passenger trainsets: nine tri-current units capable of operating on 25 kV 50–60 Hz AC (French high-speed lines), 1500 V DC (conventional lines), and 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC (Swiss network), while the remainder were bi-current (25 kV AC and 1500 V DC). Alongside these, five—and later seven—bi-current half-sets known as TGV La Poste were dedicated to mail transport for La Poste on routes connecting Paris, Lyon, and Avignon, distinguished by their yellow paint scheme.
Each trainset featured two power cars flanking eight passenger coaches, providing seating for 345 passengers. The powered bogies were positioned adjacent to the power cars. The entire set measured 200 meters in length and 2.904 meters in width, with a total mass of 385 tonnes and delivering a power output of 6,450 kW under a 25 kV supply.
Initially painted in an orange, grey, and white color scheme, the final unit was repainted silver in 2001 to align with the appearance of the TGV Atlantique. From 2012 onward, the fleet adopted the SNCF Carmillon livery. Visually, Sud-Est sets can be distinguished from Atlantique and Réseau models by their less aerodynamic power cars and the unique placement of bistro coach doors.
Designed originally for speeds up to 270 km/h, most trainsets underwent mid-life upgrades that enabled operation at 300 km/h in preparation for the opening of LGV Méditerranée. However, sets restricted to 270 km/h continued to serve routes featuring brief high-speed sections—such as those traveling towards Switzerland via Dijon—since SNCF judged further speed enhancements economically unjustifiable due to minimal time savings.
Nine trainsets were originally configured exclusively with first-class accommodations; notably, Set 88 was utilized as a test vehicle before conversion into a tri-voltage unit and renumbered as Set 118. In addition, Set 114 was sold to SBB in 1993, with another unit following in 2005. In 1995, Set 38 was transformed from all first-class seating into an additional postal set complementing the existing half-sets.
In March 2012, one leased postal set (951) visited London to support promotion efforts for the Euro Carex initiative.
By February 2013, TGV Lyria units (Sets 110–118) servicing Swiss routes had been withdrawn and replaced by TGV POS trains.
The entire TGV Sud-Est fleet was retired by December 2019. A commemorative farewell run held in early 2020 featured the very first production TGV adorned with all three liveries it had worn throughout its operational lifespan.
In service
At launch, TGV Sud-Est trainsets served routes connecting Paris with Lyon, Marseille, and other cities in southeastern France. By 2013, fifty-five sets remained active on southeastern and cross-country lines before being fully phased out by late 2019 in favor of TGV POS trains.
Numbering
The power cars were designated as Class 23000 dual-voltage locomotives, while trailers were numbered according to their sequence within each formation (for instance, Set XXX trailers were labeled 123XXX, 223XXX, and so forth). Triple-voltage units followed a numbering pattern similar to that of Class 33000. Postal half sets received identifiers from P1 to P7, with power cars numbered between 923001 and 923005 and intermediate cars prefixed by the digit 9.
Names
Numerous train sets bore names inspired by French communes, towns, or cities, which were prominently displayed on the two non-driving motor vehicles situated at either end of the articulated train.
}Preservation
Several TGV Sud-Est powercars have been conserved, including three individual units, one cab end, and a full trainset:
- Cab end from unit No. 53 displayed at Cité du Train in Mulhouse
- Powercar No. 57 showcased at the former La Chapelle depot as part of the "Grand Train" exhibition
- Powercar No. 61 located near the Bischheim technicenter, earmarked for transfer to Cité du Train, Mulhouse
- Powercar No. 112 preserved at the Railway Museum in Ambérieu-en-Bugey
- Complete set No. 16 utilized during commemorative tours marking the 1981 Sud-Est speed record
Fleet details
| Dual voltage sets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Set Number | Name | Set Number | Name |
| Set 01 | Patrick | Set 52 | Genève |
| Set 02 | Marseille | Set 53 | Le Puy-en-Velay |
| Set 03 | Belfort | Set 54 | Chagny |
| Set 04 | Rambouillet | Set 55 | Denain |
| Set 05 | Ris-Orangis | Set 56 | Annecy |
| Set 06 | Frasne | Set 57 | Bourg-en-Bresse |
| Set 07 | Conflans-Sainte-Honorine | Set 58 | Oullins |
| Set 08 | Rouen | Set 59 | Hautmont |
| Set 09 | Vincennes | Set 60 | Langeac |
| Set 10 | Hayange | Set 61 | Fontainebleau |
| Set 11 | Nîmes | Set 62 | Toulouse |
| Set 12 | Le Havre | Set 63 | Villeurbanne |
| Set 13 | Ablon-sur-Seine | Set 64 | Dole |
| Set 14 | Montpellier | Set 65 | Sète |
| Set 15 | Pau | Set 66 | Avignon |
| Set 16 | Lyon | Set 67 | Bellegarde-sur-Valserine |
| Set 17 | Tergnier | Set 68 | Modane |
| Set 18 | Le Creusot | Set 69 | Vichy |
| Set 19 | Saint-Amand-les-Eaux | Set 70 | Melun |
| Set 20 | Colmar | Set 71 | Brunoy |
| Set 21 | Dijon | Set 72 | Cahors |
| Set 22 | Valenciennes | Set 73 | Charenton-le-Pont |
| Set 23 | Montbard | Set 74 | Arbois-Mouchard-Port-Lesney |
| Set 24 | Alfortville | Set 75 | |
| Set 25 | Besançon | Set 76 | Pontarlier |
| Set 26 | Saint-Étienne | Set 77 | Nuits-Saint-Georges |
| Set 27 | Mâcon | Set 78 | Culoz |
| Set 28 | Montélimar | Set 79 | Annemasse |
| 'Set29' | ' ' Villeneuve-Saint-Georges ' ' | 'Set80' | ' ' Toulon ' ' |
| 'Set31' | ' ' Combs-la-Ville ' ' | 'Set82' | ' ' Trappes ' ' |
| 'Set33' | ' ' Fécamp ' ' | 'Set84' | ' ' Dieppe ' ' |
| 'Set35' | ' ' Grenoble ' ' | 'Set86' | ' ' Montluçon ' ' |
| 'Set37' | ' ' Saint-Germain-en-Laye ' ' | 'Set88/118' | ' ' |
| Tri-voltage sets' | |||
| 'Set Number' | 'Name' | 'Set Number' | 'Name' |
| 'Set110' | 'Pays de Vaud' | 'Set114' | |
| 'Set112' | 'Lausanne' | 'Set116' | |
| Class | Number in Service | Manufacture Years | Operator | Current Units | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 23000 | 0 | 1978–1985 | SNCF | 01-37, 39-69, 71-87, 89-102 | Dual-voltage No. 38 converted to TGV La Poste No. 70 dismantled in 1988 No. 88 adapted for TGV Atlantique trials No. 101 modified for tilt mechanism testing Decommissioned December 2019 |
| Series 33000 | 0 | 110-118 | Tri-voltage |