Trains and other things: Marseille to Lausanne by TGV Lyria

I'm in Marseille - second largest city in France. From Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles I will later take train to Switzerland.

The main station Saint Charles serves both TGV, Intercités and Regional trains.

Shortly before each departure, the platform is accessible only for those with tickets.

The building is from 1896

Marseille is promoting itself for tourism

One of the local shopping malls Les Docks

An old hotel transformed to a department store.

Hipster area of Les Cours Julien

Marseille with its 40% muslim population gives a feeling of an oriental city.

TER (Transport Express Régional) train for local Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur services. The train is called SNCF Class B 81500 and it a family of AGC/BGC Bombardier. The train entered service in 2005 and it is a dual mode electrical/diesel version of AGC.

Double traction TGV Euroduplex.

Marseille is operated by international train services from Spain, Switzerland, Italy and UK. Here is Eurostar train from London. The trip is 6h 20m southbound, and 1h more northbound due to passport control in Lille.

The train is British Rail Class 373 and it is from TGV family. The length of this train is almost 400m which is comparable with a double traction french TGC

At each door there is an attendant.

Another international service, is a less modern Thello train. It is a private company and it is created by a joint venture between french Transdev and italian Trenitalia. Service between Marseille and Milano started 2014.

Thello is using older Italian Frecciabianca coaches of type UIC-Z which can be found in many European countries.

The train is powered by SNCF Class BB 36000, a three current locomotive from Alstom.

Thello tickets can be purchased at the station machines.

Departure display for Thello train

Departure display for Eurostar

TGV Euroduplex from 2010 and British Rail Class 373 from 1994

At the staircase to Gare Saint-Charles

View from ferris wheel

Marseille has the largest port in France

SNCF Class Z 26500 double deck regional train also known as TER 2N NG. It is a Coradia Duplex train from Alstom and it belongs to same family as Swedish X40 trains.

TER 2N NG train is used here for service between Marseille and Avignon.

Mountains can be viewed from Marseille train station.

Vive la France!

Double coupled train from TER Languedoc-Rousillon region (service from Marseille to Narbonne). The train is a class Z 27500 and electrical multiple unit AGC/ZGC from Bombardier.

An old diesel locomotive hauled train operated on Marseille - Miramas line.

B 84500 Régiolis train from Coradia family of Alstom.

BB 67400

B 81500

B 84500

TGV Euroduplex

Finally when I thought I have seen it all, here comes this one. An ordinary TGV Duplex train but with a Ouigo livery. Ouigo must be the first an only one low cost train company in Europe (to be compared with low cost airlines). It is owned by SNCF, hence a similar TGV rolling stock is used.

Compared to a regular TGV Duplex, Ouigo trains are equipped to transport 20% more passengers, it is possible due to lack of first class, less luggage space and more slimmed seats (just like at the low cost airplanes). Just like the airlines, there is a restriction on the amount of luggage, tickets are non refundable and can only be purchased online. At Paris, a peripheral Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy (35km east of Paris) is used. On the other hand ticket prices are from 10€ for a trip through whole France.

A double traction Ouigo train fits 1268 passengers compared to 1011. This train was arriving to Marseille and leaving within next 30min. It was sold out when I checked their webpage.