Vauban (train)

Vauban

Vauban departing from Metz, 2008.
Overview
Service type	EuroCity (EC)
Status	Operational
Locale	Belgium Luxembourg France Switzerland Italy
First service	29 May 1988 (1988-05-29)
Last service	2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
Current operator(s)	NMBS/SNCB CFL SNCF SBB-CFF-FFS FS
Route
Start	Brussels Midi/Zuid
End	Milano C / Brig / Zürich HB / Chur / Basel SBB
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	EC 90/91
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz (Switzerland)

The Vauban was an express train that linked Brussels Midi/Zuid in Brussels, Belgium, with France, Switzerland and Italy. Introduced in 1988, it was operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB), the Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), the SNCF, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS), and the Italian State Railways (FS).

The train is named after Sébastien Le Prestre (1633–1707), Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (and commonly referred to as Vauban), who was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age.

The Vauban was one of two EuroCity train-pairs running daily between Brussels and Basel, Switzerland; the other was the EC Iris.

The Vauban began operating on 29 May 1988, and was classified from the start as a EuroCity (EC) service. It originally carried through coaches to Milano, running via Lugano and Chiasso southbound and via Brig northbound, but was not classified as an EC south of Basel.

In summer 1992, the train's route was changed to run via Brig in both directions, and the train was classified as an EC throughout its route. The section between Brig and Milano later began to operate for only part of the year, and in autumn 2004 it was discontinued entirely, making the EC Vauban's route Brussels – Basel – Bern – Brig.

In June 2007, the route was diverted to terminate in Interlaken (Ost station); it was soon diverted again, to terminate in Zurich, in December 2007.