Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2001.
The locational advantages of central railway stations have led to their usage for high-speed train services, such as Gare de Lyon in Paris, from which high-speed services are calling southern France (Lyon, Avignon, Marseille). The train in the above photo is of the TGV Duplex category (introduced in 2000), implying that it has a double deck to carry more passengers, which is suitable for heavily used inter-city corridors. The high-speed train uses a regular rail to service the station and will enter its own dedicated tracts once the suburbs are reached. Another important advantage of the rail station is its connectivity to the urban transit system, particularly subways.