Train Speeds in France.

Passenger train speeds on the continent of Europe continue to improve. France, in particular, has made tremendous progress in this direction, while maintaining an enviable reputation for safety. Two typical mainlines illustrating recent accelerations are those between Paris and Lyons, and Paris and Bordeaux. From Paris to Lyons, on the P.L.M. system, is a distance of 318 miles. This is covered to-day in 4 hours 50 minutes. On the 365 1/2 miles run from Paris to Bordeaux, the journey time has been cut to 5 hours 44 minutes. Some very fine fast runs with heavy steam trains are found on the Northern Railway, between Paris and Calais, over which route there is operated the world-famous “Golden Arrow” Pullman, providing the shortest and quickest connection between the French and English capitals. Actually, the two fastest timings in regular daily service on the French railways are those of the “Sud Express,” which covers the 70 miles between Poitiers and Angouleme in exactly one hour; and a 68 m.p.h. run from Valence to Avignon. Railcars attain high speeds in daily service on the principal French lines. The Paris-Longeau daily run at 76 1/2 m.p.h., and the 73 m.p.h. flight between Paris and Nancy are two typical timings.