 In 1976, the administration agreed to fund the first line.By the mid-1990s, the trains were so popular that SNCF President Louis Gallois declared that the TGV was "the train that saved French railways".It was originally planned that the TGV, then standing for ' ("very high speed") or ' ("high-speed turbine"), would be propelled by gas turbines, selected for their small size, good power-to-weight ratio and ability to deliver high power over an extended period.