September, 2012 – Graham Miln

Technicentre de Lyon

It is not often you get a chance to clamber around a TGV, watch trains lifted off their tracks, and see inside the maintenance buildings. The TGV is France’s high speed train.

For the Journées Européenes du Patrimoine, we visited Technicentre de Lyon, site TGV de Gerland, 80 rue de Croix-Barret, 69008, Lyon. It is fantastic.

Being run by SNCF, France’s national train organisation, we were taked to the site by a special train shuttling to and from Gare de Lyon, Perrache. The train was packed with families and small children. We did not bring any food with us and so watched in quiet envy as children eat sandwiches, snacks, and chocolate around us for the eight minute journey.

At the Technicentre the staff were out in force. They explained components, mechanisms, demonstrated security techniques, and walked us through visits into the train driver cabins.

The engineering on view is spectacular. I hope they have been able to inspire some of the visitors.