14 December 2022
Brussels, 14 December 2022 – The Thalys international high-speed train is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its German route. With up to five daily return trips, Thalys links the cities of Brussels, Liège, and Paris with the major cities of western Germany. With speeds of up to 300 km/h, Brussels to Cologne only takes 1 hour 52 minutes and costs from as little as €16.
20 million passengers on the German route since 1997
Thalys was founded in 1996 and initially linked Brussels to Paris and Amsterdam. Less than two years later, a link to the first German destinations was established. On 14 December 1997, the first Thalys train left Paris for Aachen and Cologne via Brussels. The red high-speed train has come a long way since then, carrying more than 20 million passengers on its German route. Overall, the railway company has carried more than 155 million passengers to date on its various routes.
In the summer of 2021, Thalys presented its newly designed trains. The main aim of this renewal was to better meet passenger needs. To achieve this, the refurbished Thalys is equipped with new features including more USB ports and information screens. Unused space has been freed and the bar area has been redesigned. Thanks to these changes, 28 extra seats (+7.5%) are available on board and the train has more luggage space (+15%). As a result, the train significantly reduces CO2 emissions per passenger/kilometre, and passengers benefit from greater comfort and a new travel experience.
Since the company was founded, sustainability has been a core value and guiding principle. This is reflected in the merger with Eurostar, which took place this year. Since May 2022, the two companies have been part of the Eurostar Group and have set themselves the goal of making travel in Europe simpler, more accessible, and more sustainable in the years to come.
‘The extension of the route to Germany 25 years ago, and the direct link to Paris via Brussels that followed, was an important milestone in our company’s history. We are proud to be a link between people, cultures and economies in Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and, in the future, the United Kingdom. With the creation of the Eurostar Group, we will continue to pursue our goal of making sustainable travel across Europe easier and more accessible for everyone in the years to come,’ says Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar Group CEO.