PARIS > RENNES
PARIS > BORDEAUX

Direction: the Atlantic Ocean! Following the resounding success of France’s first high-speed line between Paris and Lyon, western France became the next region to enjoy the benefits of TGV. The line serves the whole of the Atlantic coast: the Loire region with its famous châteaux, the coastline and its beaches, charming seaside resorts and on past the tip of Brittany to the open sea. The mixed traffic line was launched in 1989, originating in Paris and eventually separating into two separate branches, serving western and south-western France. In 2017, the completion of both branches connected both Rennes and Bordeaux to Paris in one hour 25 minutes and two hours respectively from Paris. In their wake, these destinations offer up perfect access to the edge of Brittany and Nouvelle Aquitaine, all the way to the Spanish border. These lines are exceptional in technical, social and environmental terms, and have proved to be a new source of industrial pride for the nation.

• Leaving Paris
• A line to the Atlantic
• Paris-Bordeaux, the journey
• Paris-Rennes, the journey
• A construction project with an environmental focus
• Archaeological finds

• Memory of a country
• A TGV in Atlantic colours
• Arriving at Bordeaux
• Arriving at Rennes
• Expected benefits

Leaving Paris

In the heart of the French capital, the Montparnasse quarter boasts a unique history. During the ‘wild years’ (les années folles) that followed World War I, many artists were inspired by the creative atmosphere of this working-class district. Painters – Picasso, Modigliani, Soutine, Chagall, Dali, Léger, Foujita – as well as poets and writers – Hemingway, Aragon, Breton, Sartre, and Henry Miller – all played a part in the golden age of Montparnasse, which lasted until the crash of 1929. Here, in the narrow streets of this lively neighbourhood, one can still imagine the Paris of these legendary artists. The Tower of Montparnasse, built in the 1960s and visible from all corners of the city, has become a landmark. All TGV trains heading for the west and southwest of France, as well as local trains, depart from Paris-Montparnasse.

To coincide with the TGV Atlantique launch, in 1990 the station underwent modernisation, adding the magnificent Porte Océane entrance, which features a vast glass canopy whose waves recall those of the Atlantic itself.
This ‘ocean’ feeling is also to be found in certain western stations to the west of Paris, such as Massy TGV to the southwest of Paris, with awnings like the sails of ocean-bound ships and a concourse designed to resemble a boat deck. Massy TGV is located along the shared section of the two Great West lines. This strategic station for the TGV network eases congestion at Montparnasse station, and serves as a hub for trains arriving from the north, south-east, and south-west of France.

A line to the Atlantic

1989: a new date for the second generation of TGVs bound for the Atlantic at 300km/hr, beginning with 76 km between Paris and Connerré (Le Mans). The project is an ambitious one, creating two separate lines to serve the west and southwest of France. Originating in Paris, a shared section of track joins the two lines, which later separate to form a huge ‘Y’; one route peels off towards Bordeaux, while the other heads for Rennes and Brittany.
The two lines were fully completed on 2 July 2017. This was the first time that France inaugurated two separate lines simultaneously, thus adding 500 kilometres to its railway network. The two routes reduce travel time between Paris and Bordeaux by one hour, and by 39 minutes between Paris and Rennes.

Connections between the highspeed line and the conventional network allow intermediary cities like Tours and Poitiers to benefit from these time savings.

Paris-Bordeaux, the journey

Shortly after leaving Paris-Montparnasse station, the TGV proceeds through a series of cut-and-cover tunnels that run under the south of the city, forming a green corridor at surface level. Once above ground, the train crosses fields of wheat and beet stretching to the horizon, passing the turbines of a major wind farm.
After the flat expanses of France’s wheat basket, La Beauce, the train descends into a tunnel specifically built to spare the vineyards of Vouvray, known throughout the world for its fine white wines. Three viaducts provide passage over the majestic Loire River, home to the proud castles and stately homes of 16th-centuryFrench kings: Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, and Chambord, among others. These monumental edifices are built from Tuffeau limestone, illuminating the sumptuous gardens that surround them.
The TGV passes close by Tours, the birthplace of Balzac and an ideal stop along the chateaux tour. Embankments, tree shelterbelts, noise barriers…the line keeps a low profile to respect its environment. Poitiers, ‘the city of 100 bell towers’, is today better known as the home of Futuroscope, a high-tech theme park.
The sun shines brighter as the train heads south and to La Charente, where hundreds of Romanesque churches stand tall, Cognac matures in oak barrels, and each year the international festival in Angoulême celebrates the world of graphic novels and comics. The TGV crosses the Dordogne twenty kilometres north of Bordeaux. The banks of this powerful river unveil a unique heritage: walled towns, proud castles, and Les Eyzies – the prehistoric capital of the world located a few kilometres from Lascaux, where visitors can admire the great vestiges of the Palaeolithic era. The TGV crosses the Garonne River, then enters Bordeaux.

Paris-Rennes, the journey

The TGV passes to the right of the Bordeaux-bound high-speed line about 130 kilometres south west of Paris, then continues on towards Rennes and Brittany. The train circumvents Le Mans, the first city in the west of France to welcome the TGV arriving from Paris, in 1989. This stop has made Le Mans much more than a mere motor racing circuit destination that comes alive for 24 hours once a year. The city’s economy has been transformed. Over 100 businesses have set up shop in the neighbourhood around the station. Hundreds of people living in the Sarthe region travel back and forth daily by TGV to work in Paris, while benefitting from property prices far lower than those in the capital city.
The train crosses the Sarthe River. Continuing south is the well-known Virgule de Sablé, a four-kilometre-long railway junction connecting the Paris-Rennes high-speed line to the conventional line bound for Nantes. A first of its kind in France, the link provides fast infrastructure for a new generation of regional trains operating at 200km/hr. The TGV passes close by the famous Solesmes Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, before crossing the Vicoin Viaduct to arrive in Brittany, where hilly fields of corn and vegetables give way to hollows and prairies. Before entering Rennes Station, the train plunges under a part of Parc de la Monnais, the green oasis of the city. Rennes is home to the remote-control post for all TGV operating in the west and south-west. A veritable control tower that monitors the headways between trains, as well as other functions.