Trans Europ Express
 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | International network of express trains |
| Status | Defunct |
| Locale | Western Europe |
| First service | 1957 |
| Last service | 28 May 1995 |
| Successor | Various, including EuroCity, InterCity, TGV and other systems |
| Former operator(s) | The national railways of several European countries |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | 1957–1991: First class only 1993–1995 (Paris–Brussels only): First and second class |
| Technical | |
| Electrification | Various different voltages, depending on country |
The Trans Europ Express, or Trans-Europe Express (TEE), is a former international railway service in western and central Europe that was founded in 1957 and ceased in 1995. At the height of its operations, in 1974, the TEE network comprised 45 trains, connecting 130 different cities, from Spain in the west to Austria in the east, and from Denmark to Southern Italy.
The network was set up in 1957 following an idea of F.Q. den Hollander, president-director at that time of the Dutch railway company (NS). It was a network jointly operated by the railways of West Germany (DB), France (SNCF), Switzerland (SBB-CFF-FFS), Italy (FS) and the Netherlands. Although some trains operated through Belgium from the beginning, the national railway company (NMBS/SNCB) joined only in 1964. Luxembourg (CFL) also joined at a later date.
The idea was for a network of fast and comfortable international trains that would be attractive to businessmen and other regular travellers. All trains were first-class-only and required payment of a special supplement over the normal first-class ticket price, the amount of which depended on the distance covered. Where possible, TEE trains' schedules were timed to allow a business traveller to make a round trip (return journey) within a single day and also have time for business activity at the destination. Each train was named, and all were expresses, stopping only at the main cities. Some of the named trains had already existed for some years before creation of the TEE network and were simply newly designated as Trans-Europe Expresses in 1957 or later. For example, the Settebello had been in operation since 1953 and the Rheingold since 1951 (as a revival of a pre-World War II train). The network was launched in 1957 with trains serving 13 different routes.
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