The first electic prototype of TGV was developed in 1974, and in 1976 start the work to built the first high speed train route of France: Paris-Lyon.
The commercial service of TGV began in 1981.

Originally lines permitting speeds of 200 km/h upgraded to 250 km/h, new lines allowing speeds of up to 320 km/h.

Actually TGV have also international service to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands.

The TGV holds, however, the world speed record for conventional trains: in 1990 it reached speeds of 515.3 km/h under test condition.

Lines:

1. LGV Sud-Est (Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon-Perrache), the first LGV (opened 1981)
2. LGV Atlantique (Paris Gare Montparnasse to Tours and Le Mans) (opened 1990)
3. LGV Nord Europe (Paris Gare du Nord to Lille and Brussels and on towards London, Amsterdam and Cologne) (opened 1993)
4. LGV Méditerranée (An extension of LGV Sud-Est: Lyon to Marseille Saint-Charles) (opened 2001)
5. LGV Interconnexion (LGV Sud-Est to LGV Nord Europe, east of Paris)

Train actual in use:

TGV Sud-Est
TGV Atlantique
TGV Réseau
Eurostar Three Capitals
Eurostar North of London
TGV Duplex
Thalys PBKA
TGV POS