10 euro – Lyon Saint-ExupérystationTGV South East and the TGV Duplex

This series on the trains of France was launched by Monnaie de Paris in 2010 and highlights station architecture and railway excellence. Following the Metz stations, the TGV and the ICE trains, it is the turn of the Lyon-Saint-Exupéry station, opened in 1994, to take centre stage. Its distinctive architecture, which looks like a bird taking flight, was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It acts as a nod to the airport which is served by trains that pass through this station. The TGV Sud-Est and the TGV Duplex, which serve this station, have been chosen to feature on this coin. The technological innovation of the train-wheel shaped edge is conserved. On the obverse, the station's architecture is depicted in all its originality. The station is constructed from reinforced concrete and is covered by a steel roof. On the reverse, the TGV Sud-Est and the TGV Duplex appear side by side. The train on the left-hand side is the first train of the line and on the right, the most recent.