When François Mitterrand, newly elected President of the Republic, inaugurated the first TGV between Paris and Lyon on September 22, 1981, no one predicted a great success for this technological innovation.
The rail then suffers from the comparison with the plane, even the car.
But, in four decades, this train of a new kind has conquered the hearts of the French.
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The high-speed line has accelerated the development of the Bordeaux metropolis
Since its launch, more than 2 billion passengers have used it.
Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Bordeaux but also Rennes, Strasbourg… One after the other, almost all the major metropolises have gained access to high-speed rail.
"
From now on, the TGV is part of everyday life
," says Olivier Klein, researcher at the laboratory for economic and transport planning at the University of Lyon II.
It has become a brand.
Travelers say they take the TGV, not the train.
"Proof of this proximity, according to Guillaume Pépy, emblematic CEO of SNCF until 2019, the TGV is one of the five most striking innovations
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