The LGV-A (A for Atlantic, Atlantique in french) TS route starts from Montparnasse station, the traditional gateway to Britanny. But nowadays, with the opening of the LGV A, Montparnasse has diverted a large part of Austerlitz station traffic towards the whole south west (Bordeaux, Biarritz and the Spain border). Some years ago, a large concrete roof had been built over the platforms and a garden, surrounded by office buidings, developped on this roof.
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
The route leaves Paris and enters into the suburbs, following the regular itinerary then turns off towards south near Bagneux TGVs sidings. There starts the LGV.
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Nine miles after Montparnasse appears the first station : Massy Palaiseau, an important connexion station with the suburban RER B and RER C. There is also a LGV branch (not represented by Claude Jousset) which allows the TGVs coming from Britanny to join the LGV Nord (Lille) or the LGV South East (Lyon, Marseilles) Many tunnels had been dug, due to the overspreading urbanization and the hilliness of the area (slighly oversized on the TS route)
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Now, the track runs through the Yvelines countryside and follows closely the A10 motorway
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
130 kms after Montparnase, the line reaches the Courtalain junction where it is divided in 2 branches, the first towards Le Mans and Britanny, the second towards South West
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
The southern branch, after serving the Vendôme station, reaches St Pierre des Corps junction to join Tours as the LGV line follows its way to Monts. There ends, temporarily, the LGV. After this point TGVs run on the main line up to Bordeaux, on a track fitted for a 200km/h speed. Tours station, like some other french towns (Lille, Amiens, Orleans), is a dead end station build in the heart of the city. And like the stations above, an other station had to be built in the suburb for the main traffic and stopping trains. This station is St Pierre des Corps station.
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Notice that I used Duplex TGVs on the last two screens. Original activities require TGVs Speedworks. I made alternative consists with the Duplex, considering that there are no freeware TGVs Atlantique and that Duplex might possibly run on these line during the summer rush period
On the Western branch, LGV A ends at Connaré and rejoins the regular main line to reach Le Mans
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Claude Jousset realized too the Dourdan branch line. Notice that Dourdan is one of the terminus of the RER C. After Dourdan, the line has a single non electrified track. It’s used for freight trains (the line serves numerous silos as we are are in the rich la Beauce plateau) and for LGV-A duty trains.
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
As said above, St Pierre des Corps station is far more important than Tours station itself. If there are some direct TGVs Paris Tours, most of the regular train and Paris Nantes TGVs stop only at St Pierre des Corps. So there is shuttle services between the 2 stations.
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Click the image to zoom in
Thanks to Claude Jousset, who presently works to build sceneries for Benjamin Deville coming LGV Nord Europe (Paris Gare du Nord to London Waterloo)
Emmanuel
