France opened Europe’s first high-speed railway in 1981.
The first section was the LGV Sud-Est, built for the TGV system between Paris and Lyon. Passenger service began on 27 September 1981, marking a major change in European rail travel. The line was designed for high-speed passenger trains rather than simply upgrading an existing conventional route.
France’s approach combined dedicated high-speed lines with conventional tracks near city centres. This allowed TGV trains to run quickly between major cities and then continue directly into established stations without requiring every destination to have a new high-speed terminal.
The 1981 opening is different from the 1978 opening of Italy’s Direttissima, which is often discussed in histories of European high-speed rail. The French line is generally identified as Europe’s first purpose-built high-speed railway in regular passenger operation.