Railway electrification in France

There are 15,687 km of electrified railways in France, making up approximately 55% of the network in use.

[1][2] For historical reason there are two norms of electrification that coexist in France: 1,500 V DC and 25 kV 50 Hz AC.

From the 1970s to now, the electrification of the French network has continued mainly with 25 kV to bring electrically powered TGVs to some cities.

The use of two norms of electrification was a huge problem for the SNCF up to the 1970s, because there was not much equipment able to run under both standards.

Today, all electrical equipment ordered by the SNCF can use both 25 kV AC and 1,500 V DC.