The stylish new fleet, which has caused an online stir thanks to its “70s space age vibes,” will enter service on the Paris-Lyon-Marseilles line in 2026.
That’s the case in any country with high speed rail: tracks are the devils of the details.
I mean in the end, especially with a country as small as France, there’s not a whole lot of difference between 320 and 350km/h. (I mean going one end of China to the other and that difference adds up, but not one end of France to the other.)
But … what’s stopping them from making the track changes needed?
320km/h? Welcome to one generation behind, France!
They were the first movers with modern tracks, and now those older tracks hold them back. The TGV itself can go much faster in theory.
That’s the case in any country with high speed rail: tracks are the devils of the details.
I mean in the end, especially with a country as small as France, there’s not a whole lot of difference between 320 and 350km/h. (I mean going one end of China to the other and that difference adds up, but not one end of France to the other.)
But … what’s stopping them from making the track changes needed?
Too expensive to rebuild half the tracks to allow higher speeds.
The cost and the downtime.