the TGV-POS Lyria, France - Switzerland

A TGV-POS set from the time of their deployment on French-Swiss services in February 2011. (CFF pic)

Since 4 March 2002, the name Lyria has been applied to TGV high speed rail services between France and Switzerland and was applied to Paris–Geneva trains around January 2005. Service to Geneva had existed as part of the Ligne à Grande Vitesse or LGV Sud-Est since 1981.

After the opening of the TGV Est in June 2007, Lyria service between Paris and Zurich began using the newly-constructed line instead of the previous route, passing through Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse, and Basel. Consequently, service from Paris has run from the Gare de l'Est instead of Gare de Lyon.

In February 2011, service improvements were announced, with a fleet of 19 latest generation TGV POS (the POS standing for Paris-Ostfrankreich-Suddeutschland) trains giving increased frequencies.

Since 12 December 2010, travel time on the Paris–Geneva line has improved with the reconstruction of the Haut-Bugey line, which connects Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. Until then, only the western part of the line was open (up to Oyonnax), and the project has restored the entire length of the line. Travel time between Paris and Geneva reduced by 30 minutes, to 3 hours and 5 minutes, and track capacity was also increased, allowing nine trains each way per day instead of the usual seven.

With the completion of the LGV Rhin-Rhône this year, travel time between Paris and Basel/Zurich will be reduced by 30 minutes. The departure station in Paris will be changed back to the Gare de Lyon instead of the Gare de l'Est.