Thalys
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Franchise(s) | International joint operation service began 1996 |
| Main stations(s) |
Paris Nord, Bruxelles Midi/Brussel Zuid, Köln Hauptbahnhof, Amsterdam Centraal |
| Other stations(s) | Antwerpen-Centraal, Liège-Guillemins, Aachen Hauptbahnhof, Albertville, Bourg-St-Maurice, Lille Europe, Moûtiers, Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux, Schiphol, Rotterdam Centraal |
| Fleet size | 9Thalys PBA sets 17 Thalys PBKA sets |
| Stations called at | 26 |
| Parent company | SNCF, SNCB/NMBS |
| Website | www.thalys.com |
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the LGV Nord high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys serves Amsterdam and Cologne as well. Its system is managed by Thalys International (SNCF (62%), NMBS/SNCB (28%), and Deutsche Bahn (10%)) and operated by THI Factory (SNCF (60%), NMBS/SNCB (40%)).
Before Thalys, there had been an express rail service between Paris and Brussels since 1924 on the train service l'Étoile du Nord. In the 1970s it connected the two cities in around 2 hours 30 minutes.
The decision to build a high-speed railway between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam was made in 1987. On 28 January 1993, SNCF, SNCB/NMBS,Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Deutsche Bahn (then still Deutsche Bundesbahn) signed an agreement to jointly operate the axis through the brand Thalys, and in 1995 Westrail International was created by the French and Belgian national railways to operate the services. On 4 June 1996 the first train left Paris using the LGV Nord until it reached Belgium, taking 2:07 hours to Brussels and 4:47 hours to Amsterdam.
In 1997, the Belgian HSL 1 line, allowing 300 km/h and running from the French border to the outskirts of Brussels, was completed for service. On 14 December 1997 the first Thalys train from Paris to Brussels ran on the HSL 1, reducing travel time to 1:25 hours. At the same time service commenced to Cologne and Aachen in Germany, and Bruges, Charleroi, Ghent, Mons, Namur and Ostend in Belgium. On 19 December 1998 the Thalys Neige service started to the ski resorts of Tarentaise Valley and Bourg St. Maurice. In May 1999, the new high-speed line serving Charles de Gaulle Airport opened, and Thalys started direct services from the Airport to Brussels, including code sharing agreements with Air France, American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. On 28 November 1999, the company changed its name to Thalys International.
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