The Train à Grande Vitesse, abbreviated TGV, is a French high-speed train of the SNCF,
built by Alstom. Characteristic of the TGV family are the separate motor vehicles at the front
and rear of the train. Special Lignes à Grande Vitesse (high-speed lines) have been and are
being installed for the TGVs. The first regular deployment of the TGV was on 27 September 1981
on the Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) Sud-Est between Paris and Lyon. Five days earlier,
the train was officially put into use by President François Mitterrand. On this first line the
TGVs reached speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour in regular service.