High-speed route
TGV inOui Paris–Lyon
Paris → Lyon · France
France’s first high-speed line, opened in 1981: the Paris–Lyon route that launched the whole TGV era, now run in under two hours.
Modern European high speed began on this corridor: the LGV Sud-Est opened in September 1981, its orange TGVs proving that city-centre rail could beat the airlines and rewriting the continent’s transport map. The line remains the busiest in France (Burgundy escarpments, Mâconnais vineyards and the Beaujolais hills compressed into under two hours), so saturated that a new signalling system is being fitted to squeeze in more paths. Lyon Part-Dieu, Europe’s busiest through station, absorbs the flow.
Along the way
- Sénart forest exit from Paris
- Burgundy escarpments
- Mâconnais vineyards
- Beaujolais hills to the west
- Part-Dieu towers
How this line was checked
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: the whole line lies on real track, a median 19 m from it
- Checked against the running timetable via ÖBB Scotty: our line sits under 100 m from the shape of TGV 6641
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
- See for yourself: open this line on the map with OpenStreetMap's own railway drawn underneath it
Questions and answers
How long is the TGV inOui?
The TGV inOui runs 427 km from Paris to Lyon.
How long does the TGV inOui take?
The fastest scheduled journey is 1 h 57 min for the 427 km. That is an average of 219 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 300 km/h.
Who runs the TGV inOui?
SNCF, with TGV Duplex (inOui).
How old is the TGV inOui?
The line has been in service since 1981. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
How often does the TGV inOui run?
Every 30 min or better.
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More train routes in France.
Planning this trip? Journey time & direct trains: Lyon → Paris · Paris → Lyon.