10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Corail terminus Tours: Florian Pépellin· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. Longueau-ftdurail2013-cc 72084: BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. 19870911a Vesoul: Roehrensee· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. 28.07.90 Ussel CC72067 (52253387568): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 5. 04.06.91 Épinal CC 72007: Phil Richards· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 6. 22.06.99 Laon CC72014 (7755418490): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 7. 17.10.94 Paris-Nord BB 16029 (32713990991): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 8. CC 72000 et voitures arrivées à la gare de l'Est (août 2008): Florian Pépellin· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 9. CC 72049: Bouboul51· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. CC 72175 arrivée à Paris-Est en hiver (décembre 2008): Florian Pépellin· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The SNCF Class CC 72000 was a class of C′C′ diesel-electric locomotives designed and built by French manufacturing conglomerate Alsthom. They are regarded as being the most powerful class of diesel locomotives to be built in France. Ninety-two locomotives were produced between 1967 and 1974, numbered CC 72001 to CC 72092.
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 59 years ago, in 1967.
- 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.
- 2.7 MW is about 31 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 19 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 20.2 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Still in service after 59 years.
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- 1967–1974
- in service from
- 1967
- status
- in service
- number built
- 92
- kind
- Diesel engine
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇫🇷 France
- builders
- Alstom
- operators
- Société nationale des chemins de fer français, ONCF
- top speed
- 160 km/h
- power
- 2.7 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- C′C′
- length
- 20.2 m
- weight
- 114 t
- Dutch name
- SNCF CC 72000
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2157297, Wikipedia: SNCF Class CC 72000 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.