The official launch of LGV Est L’ Européenne phase 2 took place this July. The EUR 2 billion high speed line was launched up to Strasbourg, and this section of 106 km, between Baudrecourt and Vendenheim represents in fact the 2nd phase of TGV Est. Thus, the travel time between Paris and Strasbourg is reduced to under two hours.This section facilitates the railway connections to Alsace and to the middle of Europe – towards Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Sixteen services per day now operate in each direction between the two cities. The first Strasbourg – Paris Est service departs at 06.46, arriving in the capital at 08.35, while the final weekday service from Paris to Strasbourg departs at 20.40, reaching its destination at 22.30, with a later 21.55 departure on Fridays and Sundays.
French Railways (SNCF) and German Rail (DB) have stepped up Paris – Frankfurt TGV/ICE services to six trains per day, with four trains running via Saarbrücken and Kaisersalutern and two new services operating via Strasbourg and Karlsruhe. Strasbourg now has three direct high-speed services a day to Frankfurt.
It is envisaged that towards 2020, TGV L’ Européenne will transport 12,8 million passengers per year, of which 10,7 million domestic passengers and 2,1 million international passengers.
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