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TGV Est services

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STEVIEBOY1

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Good morning,

All being well, later next month I hope to be travelling in First Class from Paris Est to Colmar.

I think the outbound journey will be mid to late afternoon and we have to change at Strasbourg. On the Paris / Strasbourg train, which I think goes on to Germany and on the return morning TGV which picks up at Colmar (It may infact start there.) Is there likely to be an at seat compliemently food / drink service like there is on Thalys and some Lyria trains?

If so, do you get much, or is it better to buy something at Paris Est and Colmar to take on board. I do know Thalys can be very generous with their wine offerings. :)

Thank You.
 
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Myb

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No, there isn't any complementary food/drink service. It was offered on services to Germany but has recently been removed.

There will be a bar in the train, but it's quite expensive so you might want to buy before leaving.

Enjoy your trip :)
 

STEVIEBOY1

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No, there isn't any complementary food/drink service. It was offered on services to Germany but has recently been removed.

There will be a bar in the train, but it's quite expensive so you might want to buy before leaving.

Enjoy your trip :)

Oh right thank you, shame they removed the food service. I shall buy something before I get on board, hopefully it may be a double deck train service in at least one direction.

I recently came from Annecy to Paris and the part of the train we were was a double decker and was very clean and smart. Another section joined us enroute from Milan and that was single decker, so an unusual formation.
 

Myb

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The Deutche Bahn website displays whether the train will be a Duplex or not.

You might get to travel on one of the fancy new Duplex trains which are a bit wider (tried them three weeks ago).
 

Gordon

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It's a while since I went on a TGV, but AFAIK if the train is going to be a Duplex double decker the seat reservation/ticket would tell you because it would say 'haut' (high ie upper deck) or 'bas' (low ie bottom deck).

As far as catering goes, many TGVs are sadly lacking. Around 10 years ago, I fondly recall a trip from Gare de Lyon to Lausanne where the first class included hostess and at seat catering. Last time I went first class on a TGV (to Strasbourg) the bar wasn't even open...






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STEVIEBOY1

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I am back from this journey too, the outbound train was two TGVS coupled together, the rear section was a single decker that was only going to Strasbourg, the front though was a nice newer double decker that carried onto Munich. Our group was in that section and we were all upstairs, a light salad meal was provided soon after departing Paris with one bottle of wine. More food and drink was offered but you had to pay for that. (I presume there must be small lifts on the train to take the catering trolleys from the lower to upper decks.?)

It was an excellent journey from Paris, we left 30 minutes late, they had been an "incident" on the line somewhere, but we arrived on time in Strasbourg, we got upto 320KMPH on the LGV.

The return from Colmar was a single deck older TGV with no included catering, but we knew that in advance so took food etc on board.
 
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33Hz

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Making up a 30 minute delay by Strasbourg is frankly amazing given that most of the route is at 320 km/h already.
 

notadriver

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Isn't it only high speed for the first 300 km as far as Baudrecourt? Must be lots of timetable padding.
 

33Hz

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Isn't it only high speed for the first 300 km as far as Baudrecourt?

Which is geographically three quarters of the way.

Must be lots of timetable padding.

Well phase 2 of the LGV Est will save 30 minutes, so if they can save 30 minutes now just through timetable padding...
 

notadriver

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From one of the cab rides I watched that last section on conventional lines is very slow (less than 160 kph in many places)
 

33Hz

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I've traveled the line many times. The first half (time wise) is absolutely flat out from not far out of Paris Est. The train stays in the 310-320 km/h range the whole way. There is not really room to make up time there without seriously over speeding.

The second half is, as you say, currently pretty slow. It's around 1h10m of relative dawdling. Which means that in order to make up 30 minutes there you would have to be travelling at almost twice the usual speed. This I doubt would be allowed or possible.
 
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Gordon

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I agree it seems odd to be able to catch up as much as 30 minutes.

The Baudrecourt - Strasbourg section is not surprisingly slow, as it is not just conventional line, but a mountain route - indeed a 'classic' original main line which traverses the Vosges mountains and includes several examples of what French enthusiasts call 'Site Célèbre (famous or classic location). In particular this includes the Saverne pass and the Arzviller tunnel (parallel to canal tunnel)




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STEVIEBOY1

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I noticed Gordon's comment about the railway going through a tunnel next to a canal.

The whole timing for that outbound train was a bit odd. When booked, the train was meant to depart Paris around 1515 or 1525 ish and arrive Strasbourg about 1738 ish, making an approx journey time of around 2 & 1/2 hours. Our onward train to Colmar was about 1750 ish.

However when the ticket came through, the departure time was made earlier at about 1445, but with the same arrival time as before, about 1738, so making a longer journey time of around 3 hours.

This time, 1445, was also shown on the departure boards at Gare d'est, then the "Retard" notice came up 25-30 minutes, we left therefore about the time 1515, that we were originally supposed to have done. I don't know if we were supposed to have been going on a diversion line, hence the alteration to the departure time, but perhaps, as we were late they kept to the original route and schedule. I did notice towards the end of the LGV, that there appeared to be new sections of lines being built, so perhaps it was something to do with that.
 

33Hz

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That would explain it.

The new sections of lines you saw are the LGV Est Phase 2 that opens next year and will bring the journey time down to 1h 50m.
 

Gordon

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After initial plans to build in one go, the building of LGV Est was eventually split into two phases. This was quite logical given the difference in geography between the two phases. Phase 1 crosses mostly fairly level (and comparatively lowly populated) land of the famous prairies of the Champagne region.The crossing of the Vosges mountains is obviously the more onerous engineering challenge, and the most environmentally sensitive section (forests and hills) so was deferred.

Test running with instrument-filled TGV 744 double deck set has now started on phase 2. The set will run at up to 352km/h but the normal max line speed will be 320km/h

Commercial service planned to start on 3 April 2016




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