Faidherbe (train)

Faidherbe

Overview
Service type	Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1978–1991)
Locale	France
First service	8 October 1978
Last service	31 May 1991
Former operator(s)	SNCF
Route
Start	Gare du Nord, Paris
End	Lille
Service frequency	Weekdays
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25000 V AC 50Hz (France)

The Faidherbe was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Lille in the North of France. The train was named after the Lille born governor of Senegal, General Louis Faidherbe. ^[1]

One year before the creating of the TEE-network the French railway SNCF introduced three Trains d'affaires to link Paris with the industrial area in the North near the Belgian border. This trains were scheduled with a morning, midday and evening service in both directions. Initially the service was operated with RGP 600 DMUs. In 1959 these were replaced by locomotive hauled trains consisting of Corail coaches. Although domestic TEE-services were allowed from 1965 the Trains d'affaires were not upgraded until 1978.^[2] Together with the upgrading to TEE the trains were named. The morning service pair was named Faidherbe, departing 7:01 from Lille and 7:30 from Paris.

References

1. La Légende des TEE p. 372.
2. Das grosse TEE Buch p. 114

Works cited

• Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
• Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.