Summary: Created in 1999, but only launched in 2002, Lyria is a brand name for TGV rail links between France and Switzerland. Legally, it is a simplified joint stock company under French law, but it cannot be considered a ‘railway company’ like Thello, NTV-Italo or Thalys, as it has neither a licence nor a safety certificate. Nevertheless, SNCF holds 74% of the ‘shares’ and CFF, the Swiss state-owned company, the remaining 26%. The designers of the brand wanted a very strong bi-cultural identity, which is reflected in the specific design of the trains and the on-board experience. Lyria initially used TGV-PSE trainsets (Paris Sud-Est), then POS trainsets (Germany) until 2019, when the entire fleet was replaced by 15 double-decker 2N2 UA3 trainsets.

➤ See also: AVE (Renfe) – Avlo (Renfe) – Eurostar (since 2024) – Frecciarossa – ICE – InOui – Iryo – NTV-Italo – Ouigo SNCF

➤ See also: High speed train in France – High speed train in Germany – High speed train in Italy – High speed train in Japan