Paris to Barcelona by TGV 2N2 - part 1

I have 2 hours waiting between changing my trains, so I take a walk from Gare de Lyon to Place de la Bastille

 December has been very warm last year

 Place de la Bastille

 Metro station

 Back to the train station, view from the balcony of Le Train Bleu restaurant

Since the opening of LGV Sud-Est from Paris to Lyon 1981, the line has quickly reached its capacity. The separation between trains was reduced to 3 minutes. TGV Duplex with its 45% more passenger capacity was the solution for the problem. Today there are almost only TGV Duplex trains at Gare de Lyon.

 TGV Sud-Est with Carmillon livery is arriving

 TGV Duplex. There are 3 generations of TGV Duplex: Reséaux, Dasye and Euroduplex (2N2). The 3rd generation 2N2 is from 2011, it has tri-current support so it can operated on international routes to Germany, Switzerland and Spain.

 TGV Duplex and TGV Reséau

 Gare de Lyon is serving TGV services to Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Perpignan and Mulhouse among other towns within France. Also there are services to Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

 TGV services between France and Spain started 2013, replacing an earlier night train service Elipsos Trenhotel. The night train service then took 12h. Today TGV service is taking 6h 30min.

 There are 2 daily services to Barcelona today, ticket prices are from 59€ 2nd and 99€ 1st class.

 Since Spain has its own Iberian broad gauge railways, there has been limitations on traffic to rest of Europe. The only exception is Talgo variable gauge train which can operated on both railway standards. The high speed railway network in Spain (AVE) was decided to be built in standard gauge, the first line was opened 1992 (Madrid-Seville), but it was only 2013 (with opening of Figueres-Perpignan line), that the Spanish AVE was connected with the European railways.

 The stairs to second floor where I will be sitting.

 My train was a double tractioned TGV duplex, where my train had final destination Barcelona, and the other one Montpellier.

 Passengers are boarding the TGV duplex

 TGV Duplex (to the left) to Barcelona, and TGV Reséau (to the right) to Milano.

 Trains are ready for departure.

 Inside 1st class 2nd floor coach.

 Club four seating

 Club duo seating

 Departing from Paris.

 The train is using LGV Sud-Est and LGV Médirranée lines. The TGV is doing 527km at 300km/h before first stop. The beautiful nature and some castles are passed by at high speed.

 The route is not passing through any towns or villages, just nature.

 The branch to LGV Rhin-Rhône which I took earlier this day from Zurich.

 The first stop is after 527km and about 2hours, it is Valence TGV.

 Passing by motorways.

Mâcon Loché TGV station (my train was not stopping here).