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10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BB 15025 + Corail en gare de Frénouville Cagny: Florian Fèvre· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. BB 15007 à Amiens: BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. BB 15000 - Gare Chelles: Eole99· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. BB 15034 Blason Sète (5965308660): 8Uhr· CC BY 2.0
- 5. BB 15034 en tête d'une TER 2N à Amiens: BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6. BB 15034 à Amiens - 17 décembre 2009: BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 7. BB 15053-paris-est-25-10-2012-fws-01: Francisco Welter-Schultes· CC0
- 8. BB 15053-paris-est-25-10-2012-fws-02: Francisco Welter-Schultes· CC0
- 9. BB 15000 (53106261382): Alexandre Prevot from Nancy, France· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 10. BB 15000: Alexandre Prevot· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The SNCF class BB 15000 is a class of 25 kV 50 Hz electric locomotives built by Alstom and MTE between 1971 and 1978. Initially 65 locomotives strong, the class was widely deployed on the whole French 25 kV network before being replaced by TGV trains when the LGV Est went into service in 2007.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 55 years ago, in 1971.
- Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
- 4.4 MW is about 52 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 14 African elephants (~6 t each).
- Still in service after 55 years.
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1971–1978
- in service from
- 1971
- status
- in service
- number built
- 65
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇫🇷 France
- builders
- Alstom, Matériel de Traction Electrique
- operators
- Société nationale des chemins de fer français
- top speed
- 160 km/h
- power
- 4.4 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 25 kV 50 Hz AC catenary
- wheel arrangement
- B'B'
- weight
- 82 t
- nicknames
- "Nez cassés", "BB 4400kW"
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q746572, Wikipedia: SNCF Class BB 15000 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.