LGV Atlantique

LGV Atlantique
The LGV Atlantique in Boinville-le-Gaillard
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerSNCF Réseau
LocaleÎle-de-France, Centre-Val de Loire and Pays de la Loire
Termini
Service
SystemSNCF
History
Opened
  • 24 September 1989 (Paris–Le Mans)
  • 25 September 1990 (full line)
Technical
Line length
  • 232 km (144 mi) (main line)
  • 52 km (32 mi) (western branch)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed300 km/h (186 mph)
SignallingTVM-300
Route map

to Paris-Montparnasse enlarge…
1.2
Line to Le Mans
14.1
Line from Valenton
14.4
Massy TGV TGV inOui Ouigo
17.0
Tunnel de Villejust (4805 m)
from Brétigny
65.9
to Châteaudun
130.2
Junction with Le Mans branch
LGV BPL to Rennes
Line from Chartres
182.0
Line to Le Mans
162.1
Vendôme TGV TGV inOui
214.4
River Loire (459 m)
Line from Tours
216.0
Line to Orléans
216.3
to Vierzon
217.0
218.3
River Cher (370 m)
223.0
LGV SEA to Bordeaux
232.2
Line from Tours
Line to Bordeaux

The LGV Atlantique (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse Atlantique; English: Atlantic high-speed line) is a high-speed rail line running from Gare Montparnasse in Paris towards the Atlantic coast of France. It opened in 1989–1990 and has two intermediate stations: Massy TGV station and Vendôme-Villiers-sur-Loir TGV station. It divides into two parts at Courtalain, one going westward to Le Mans (towards Brittany and Pays de la Loire), the second one going southwestward to Tours (and onward towards Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Both branches have been extended, by the LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire and the LGV Sud Europe Atlantique.