2024-05 - Blog Posts

"Stick an aircraft engine in it" part 2b - the TGV

"Wait, the TGV's electric, right?", I hear you say. You're not wrong: all TGVs in commercial service since 1981 have been electric. But this is the 1972 prototype TGV, and back then, those initials stood for Turbotrain à Grande Vitesse, continuing the development cycle of trains with helicopter engines that had already been introduced on intercity services with the RTG.

This prototype would set the standard of what French high speed rail would become: articulated units of carriages between two power cars, and the distinctive, iconic orange livery I wish they would have kept around in some capacity. The train regularly ran over 300 km/h, peaking at 318 km/h in Southwestern France in December 1972. The difference, of course, is that TGV 001 was equipped with four helicopter-derived gas turbines, two in each power car. As the oil crises hit before the production TGV was properly defined, SNCF were able to redesign the project around electric power in time for the 1980s.

After 15 years of service as a test mule, the train was due to be scrapped, but fortunately the two power cars avoided that fate. Their interiors were gutted, but the cars were saved and put on display as monuments to their builders, Alsthom, at Belfort and Bischheim (North suburb of Strasbourg). UNfortunately, they've been put by the motorway of all places, at both sites, so visiting them isn't very pleasant. At least at Bischheim, there is a footpath on the bridge over the motorway and railway yard, so it's possible to take one's time and get some decent views of the machine that started it all.

I had to do Eckwersheim village justice on the way to the canal and the memorial shown yesterday, and took the time to walk through it. As it is part of the Strasbourg Metropolitan Area, buses go there, and it's a rather nice ride through several villages, nearly all of which end in 'heim. And all these villages, within easy reach of the city, have at least a few streets with charming, timber-framed buildings, some richly decorated, with flowers and ornaments like the one above. An Alsatian village in rose season is quite the treat.

This building is evidently a restaurant, with the menus chalked up on the gate! I was there on a Monday morning but no menu on display - maybe it was too early, or maybe they weren't going to open because it was a national holiday - kind of. Pentecost in France got weird after 2003 and I don't fully understand it. Let's enjoy that door some more instead.

And it wouldn't be a lovely day in Alsace without storks!

Eckwersheim rail accident memorial

On the northern edge of the Strasbourg Metropolitan Area, the high-speed railway line crosses the Marne-to-Rhine Canal (of which I've said quite a lot recently) and curves to the South to join the trunk line into Strasbourg. It was here, on 14 November 2015, in the months prior to this section opening, that a test train derailed catastrophically, killing 11 and injuring 42.

The immediate cause of the derailment was over-speed: the crew had failed to brake in advance of the curve and headed into it 90 km/h faster than they should have. The reasons for this failure are a point of contention; as far as I have understood, the accident report hasn't managed to clearly identify them as there was no voice recorder in the driver's cab. The accident has been in the news recently as the trial of the driving crew and the companies involved has just taken place, with the verdict due to be returned in October.

I have been travelling on the accident tracks for years, and possibly since the first time I took the TGV to Strasbourg in 2017, I have made a note of this particular curve, recognising the red bridges from those terrible pictures from the news, not out of anxiety, but out of awareness of what had taken place. Knowing that a memorial garden sits there, and with the court case wrapping up, I decided to go out and see it in person.

Quite isolated from outside noise by the two elevated train tracks either side, and with the canal and paths ahead, the atmosphere there is indeed very peaceful. A large plaque recalls the event, while 11 stones are scattered around the site for the deceased.

"En hommage aux victimes et aux personnes profondément touchées par l'accident de la rame d'essais du 14 novembre 2015, à celles et ceux qui nous ont quittés"

The tri-national S-Bahn of Basel

Due to its location, Basel attracts people from three countries, and the rail network reflects that. On top of lines within Switzerland, one line arrives from France at Basel Central station, and several arrive from Germany at the Badischer Bahnhof on the North side of the Rhine. My trip to Augst via Basel and Wyhlen was a chance to ride on this suburban network of three companies in three countries.

Starting after lunch with the Hochrheinbahn which runs from Basel Bad., along the Northern side of the Rhine in Germany. This is the only line out of Basel that isn't electrified, so Baureihe 641 Diesel railcars run the route. We have this type of railcar in France too, it was designed as a response to a joint French-German tender for regional trains. Designed by De Dietrich and Linke-Hofmann-Busch, which were both bought by Alstom shortly after, it is the first example of what would become the Coradia platform.

On the Swiss side, the S-Bahn sees RABe 521 commuter trains run between Basel Central and Frick. This type of train is made by the Swiss company Stadler and is marketed as... the FLIRT. Stadler does this a lot, they also have the KISS and SMILE platforms, and each is the result of a convoluted acronym in German, though this one translated very nicely into English: Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train.

Finally, the French line of the S-Bahn goes out as far as Mulhouse, and is currently operated by electric AGC (Automotrice Grande Capacité - high-capacity unit) regional trains built by Bombardier (also since bought out by Alstom). 200 km/h express trains from Strasbourg also reach Basel Central, with the push-pull sets we already presented. The line from Mulhouse to Basel Central is electrified with French voltage (25 kV 50 Hz AC), which is different to the rest of the Swiss network (15 kV 16.7 Hz AC), hence the SNCF can run their trains into Basel with few adaptations (mainly comms).

And that's it for my tri-national tri-trip over the April-May break! Back to some older material next, it's time to look at Japan again.

Augusta Raurica

Founded in the 1st century by Lucius Munatius Plancus (which sounds a bit like a joke name but he also founded what is now Lyon), the Roman city of Augusta Raurica had all the amenities you'd expect: a drama theatre, temples, a gladiatorial amphitheatre, baths by the Rhine, and, in the 4th century, a Christian church.

And like all Roman cities, it largely fell into disrepair, the stones reused for other constructions. Restoration was carried out in the last century or two, and... maybe "reconstruction" is a more accurate term?

As such, the theatre is now used for outdoor shows. Along with the foundations of the temple opposite, it's basically become the town park. Same goes for the amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town, now equipped with barbecues and benches, and was hosting an event on the afternoon I went there (I can't find what).

Some underground remains are also open, consisting of basement levels of the baths and 4th-century church, where the heating and water systems were located. The least touched outdoor ruin seems to be this temple, of which little is known.

All in all, the reconstructions and atmosphere make Augusta Raurica less of a geeky history spot and more of a park with a backstory. Not my favourite Roman site, but a leisurely visit, particularly suited for families I'd say.

Two crossings of the Rhine

The Swiss city of Basel lies on the border with France and Germany, and, as it's Switzerland, it hasn't changed hands or been attacked much (though the French did use Basel as target practice for a new cannon from their fort at Huningue once). It has a well-preserved historic centre, and, with the Rhine's current being consistently strong, it has a rare form of transportation.

This little ferry has no motor. It is tethered to a wire that crosses the river, and a lever at one end of the tether on the boat is all that's needed to turn the boat into the current which does the rest.

It's incredibly simple and easy! For a more engaging version of the story, here's a video by The Tim Traveller.

While I rode the boat with my sister, I continued upstream alone to another crossing, a bridge which doubles up as a dam for hydro-electric power stations on either side - or Kraftwerk as it's known in German.

Unlike in Basel, the Rhine at this point is an international border: Germany on the right-hand side, and Switzerland on the left-hand side. But with Germany and Switzerland being signatories of the Schengen agreement, this is what the border looks like:

The Rhine sees some impressive barges navigate roughly between Schaffhausen and Rotterdam, so there is a rather impressive lock next to this dam and the Kraftwerken. This is the view downstream from the top of the lock, with what I suspect was a border post on the right? I don't know, but I seem to remember that black and white stripes had some significance.

The abandoned Arzviller station

The old canal we followed yesterday is flanked by the Zorn river and the Strasbourg to Sarrebourg railway. Trains call at Lutzelbourg and/or Réding, while, half-way in between and opposite lock n°6, sits Arzviller station - actually located on the territory of Saint-Louis - closed. Shockingly, I can't find when it was closed (one source suggests the 1980s, though in my mind it was more recent).

Going from the canal to the station requires dropping down to the level of the Zorn river, crossing it, and going under the railway and road. There is a very dark underpass, but if you look closely and sport the light switch... Club Vosgien, the association which manages hiking trails in the Vosges mountains, literally shines through with this installation!

Given that Arzviller station is closed, and not wanting to tread the same ground twice, I decided to walk from one station to the next, Réding to Lutzelbourg, and I can't recommend the part from Réding to Arzviller: not signposted for hikers, really requiring a map if you're trying to avoid roads... and the only real highlight is the chance to glimpse the twin canal & railway tunnels: boats and trains enter and exit together at the West end (no boats on the day I visited though).

Back to the Arzviller-Henridorff lock ladder

I took my own advice and returned to Arzviller to walk the full section of closed canal. It turns out the upper part is less overgrown and more active than the lower end. I'd only gone from the bottom lock, n°17, up to lock n°14 (under the railway bridge) at the time.

Starting from the top, the house at lock n°2 is a crêperie restaurant, while lock n°4 is a gîte complete with a private fishing pier. I counted four lock houses with some form of art going (n°2, 10, 13 and 15). The other lock houses are more or less well-maintained residences. There are no houses standing at locks n°14 and 17.

The Vallée des Éclusiers, or Lock-keepers' Valley, is well worth the wander. The quickest is either to drive there or cycle from Lutzelbourg station. But more on the logistics tomorrow - for now, let's enjoy lock n°9, probably the most dramatic on the route.

200 km/h push-pull trains

While Germany has recent double-deck train carriages, the Dostos shown previously being built in the 2000s, and updated versions still being produced, France made its last carriages in the 1980s, including Corail cars for inter-city services. But their use was curtailed by the development of the high-speed network.

Some sets were given push-pull ability, with a driving cab at one end that can control the locomotive at the other - the lead car above being a renovated B5uxh: second-class seating, 5 compartments, air-conditioned, driving cab, disabled access. These have found a new lease of life in regional transport, especially in the East, as the straight and flat Alsace line from Strasbourg to Basel allows these 200 km/h-capable carriages to stretch their legs. The "TER 200" puts Strasbourg only 80 minutes from Switzerland (wink-wink-nudge-nudge for a future trip).

The usual motors for these sets are BB 26000 "Sybic" locomotives built in the 1990s, powerful enough to get them to their top speed. While not at top speed in this setting, probably running at 100 km/h on the slower line to the Lorraine region, they still feel like very big trains when they go by.

Other push-pull trains exist in Alsace, with smaller locos and carriages rejoining the fleet for the planned Réseau Express Métropolitain Européen. However, most passengers trains everywhere in France now are covered by multiple units, especially since bi-mode units like the Régiolis shown below, have appeared. These are capable of running on electric power or with a Diesel engine, making them as flexible as can be.