LGV Nord - History

History

• 29 September 1989: declaration of public utility
• 2 September 1991: commencement of tracklaying
• 9 September 1992: catenary in service
• 20 October 1992: first trials with TGV Atlantique trainset 301
• 23 May 1993: service commences between Paris and Arras
• 21 December 1993: TGV 7150 from Valenciennes to Paris, operated by set 511, derailed at 300 km/h (186 mph) at the site of TGV Haute Picardie station (before it was built). Rain had caused a hole to open up under the track; the hole dated from the First World War but had not been detected during construction. The front power car and the front four carriages derailed, but remained aligned with the track. Out of the 200 passengers, one was slightly injured.
• The line was designed to facilitate European connections. The foreseen opening of the Channel Tunnel made it a project of the utmost urgency, leading to an acceleration of work. It opened in 1993, a year before the tunnel, from Arnouville to Fréthun; the Belgian section followed in 1997.
• The Lyon-Lille connection by TGV began in 1984, using conventional lines between the Ile-de-France and Lille.