TGV France-Italie units being repainted.

[D6130]

A friend in Italy has just informed me that the six TGV-Reseau tri-voltage units (4501-4506) used on the Paris-Milano services are in the process of being repainted in the latest SNCF 'in-Oui' livery and are losing their "Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan" branding. 4503 is the first to be repainted. My Italian friend has speculated that this may be a prelude to SNCF withdrawing their international service once the FS Thello service on the same route, using Trenitalia ETR 400 'Frecciarossa' units starts. The start of the new service, originally planned for the June 2020 timetable, has now been postponed until June 2021 at the earliest, due to the pandemic, and there are planned to be only two services per day - as opposed to the current three on Summer peak dates. However, the new Trenitalia units will shave about 45 minutes off the current 7 hour 20 minutes journey time as they will be able to use the Torino-Milano high speed line, for which the TGVs don't have the required Italian high speed cab signalling equipment, forcing them to use the 160 km/h classic line via Chivasso, Xantia, Vercelli and Novara. If anyone knows in advance the timings of the new Thello services, I would be very interested, being a regular user of this service for my 'commute' between West Yorkshire and Tuscany.

 

[eastwestdivide]

If anyone knows in advance the timings of the new Thello services

There were provisional timings in recent issues of the European Rail Timetable. Sorry, don't have it to hand at the moment, but I think some were actually slower between Paris-Turin, but obviously faster from there to Milan.

 

[30907]

There were provisional timings in recent issues of the European Rail Timetable. Sorry, don't have it to hand at the moment, but I think some were actually slower between Paris-Turin, but obviously faster from there to Milan.

0726-1407 and 1518-2207 ex Paris, 0553-1231 and 1607-2317 ex Milano C, all via Lyon PD.

 

[D6130]

There were provisional timings in recent issues of the European Rail Timetable. Sorry, don't have it to hand at the moment, but I think some were actually slower between Paris-Turin, but obviously faster from there to Milan.

Thanks. If both services in each direction are running via Lyon PD, some of the timings will be slower in France than previously, when only the first train from Paris and last one from Milano went that way.

0726-1407 and 1518-2207 ex Paris, 0553-1231 and 1607-2317 ex Milano C, all via Lyon PD.

Many thanks for that. That will open interesting connectional opportunities for our 'commute', although the very early start on the morning train from Milano/Torino will mean that we will miss breakfast in our hotel after our overnight stop in Torino!

 

[JonasB]

0726-1407 and 1518-2207 ex Paris, 0553-1231 and 1607-2317 ex Milano C, all via Lyon PD.

Thank you! Did the trains stop at Part-Dieu or Saint Exupéry before?

When I think about it, 6:30 from Paris to Milan is not that bad after all.

 

[D6130]

Thank you! Did the trains stop at Part-Dieu or Saint Exupéry before?

When I think about it, 6:30 from Paris to Milan is not that bad after all.

Until last year, the 06 30 from Paris and 14 40 from Milano stopped at Part Dieu; the 08 45 from Milano went via Aix-les-Bains and Bourg-en-Bresse, by-passing Lyon altogether and the others stopped at St Exupery. (Apologies to my francophone friends, but my ancient laptop can't do accents!).

 

[JonasB]

Until last year, the 06 30 from Paris and 14 40 from Milano stopped at Part Dieu; the 08 45 from Milano went via Aix-les-Bains and Bourg-en-Bresse, by-passing Lyon altogether and the others stopped at St Exupery.

Thank you very much for the detailed answer!

 

[Austriantrain]

all via Lyon PD.

A very good idea.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Thanks. If both services in each direction are running via Lyon PD, some of the timings will be slower in France than previously, when only the first train from Paris and last one from Milano went that way.

Many thanks for that. That will open interesting connectional opportunities for our 'commute', although the very early start on the morning train from Milano/Torino will mean that we will miss breakfast in our hotel after our overnight stop in Torino!

Not such convenient times for connections from London, compared to the one nearer the middle of the day from Paris I've used previously. London-Paris-Milan to arrive by the end of the afternoon in Milan; in time for a meal and a sleeper on to the south.

 

[158801]

Many thanks for that. That will open interesting connectional opportunities for our 'commute', although the very early start on the morning train from Milano/Torino will mean that we will miss breakfast in our hotel after our overnight stop in Torino!

The Hotel Diplomatic in Turin - near Porta Susa station does an early breakfast. In fact you’ll probably share the breakfast room with the “train guard” for your TGV - as we did the last time we stayed there.

 

[D6130]

The Hotel Diplomatic in Turin - near Porta Susa station does an early breakfast. In fact you’ll probably share the breakfast room with the “train guard” for your TGV - as we did the last time we stayed there.

Funnily enough we usually stay at the Hotel Dock Milano - right next door - but they don't start breakfast until 07 00. That's just about doable - if you're first into the breakfast room - for the current 07 36 TGV departure. However, breakfast at such an early hour is a struggle after a big dinner with Italian friends the night before! We did stay at the Diplomatic once, about four years ago, when the Dock Milano was full and by happy coincidence, the Italian national wine producers' conference was in progress in the hotel.....several free samples later, we had difficulty making our way out to find a restaurant for dinner!

 

[AlbertBeale]

Funnily enough we usually stay at the Hotel Dock Milano - right next door - but they don't start breakfast until 07 00. That's just about doable - if you're first into the breakfast room - for the current 07 36 TGV departure. However, breakfast at such an early hour is a struggle after a big dinner with Italian friends the night before! We did stay at the Diplomatic once, about four years ago, when the Dock Milano was full and by happy coincidence, the Italian national wine producers' conference was in progress in the hotel.....several free samples later, we had difficulty making our way out to find a restaurant for dinner!

I've stayed at both the Dock Milano, and one almost next door from it in the other direction, round the corner in Piazza Diciotto Dicembre (I forget the name). Both fine for the odd night as a staging post between the rest of Italy and the Turin-Paris-London connection. Though I did the journeys when there was a connection from Turin at a more civilised hour - ie I had a leisurely breakfast! - that still got me back to London that evening.