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A train and a way of life

Angelique Chrisafis

French high-speed train service marks 25 years

Paris: It has woken sleepy provincial towns, shrunk the map of France and even promises to match-make lonely passengers. France's high-speed train, the TGV, turned 25 on Friday amid a scramble for cheap fares and a bout of soul-searching about the glory of French technology and the cohort of travellers dubbed La France TGV.

This weekend train-spotters and fans will gather near the Eiffel tower for a vast birthday party after 50,000 celebration euro 5 train tickets on Thursday sold out in an hour. The Director-General of TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse) said it was all part of his desire to build a "community and create a certain TGV way of life."

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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