Еуропа жылдам поезд қызметі: Thalys тарихы (1996-2023)

European high speed train service, 1996–2023

Thalys (French: talis) was a brand name used for high speed train services between Paris Gare du Nord via Brussels South to either Amsterdam Centraal or to German cities in the Rhein Ruhr, including Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen and Dortmund. Since 29 September 2023, the services operate under the Eurostar name; sometimes referred to as Eurostar Red, based on the colour of the trains. Thalys was created out of a political ambition formalised in October 1987 to establish a network of international high speed railway services between the cities of Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam. The Thalys name was created in January 1995. The company procured a fleet of Alstom built TGV trains to operate its services as they were viewed as the only existing rolling stock suitable to the task. On 4 June 1996, the first Thalys branded train departed from Paris. Early services were more reliant on slower conventional lines as many of the intended new high speed lines were still under construction. Service speeds would improve with the opening of Belgium's HSL 1 line in December 1997 and the Dutch HSL Zuid in December 2009, alongside other infrastructure works. Thalys's busiest route was the Paris–Belgium corridor; various airlines, such as Air France and KLM, opted to discontinue flights directly competing with Thalys's high speed services. From 1996 to April 2022, the service was managed by Thalys International, which was 70% owned by the French national railway company SNCF and 30% owned by the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB. It was operated by THI Factory, which was 60% owned by SNCF and 40% owned by NMBS/SNCB. which in turn was acquired by the holding company Eurostar Group during the following month. From April 2022 to September 2023, Thalys services were operated by the Eurostar Group.

In September 2019, the shareholders of the cross Channel high speed train operator Eurostar and Thalys introduced a plan to merge the two companies, named project Green Speed. Both companies already operate in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, with Eurostar also operating in the United Kingdom, and Thalys also operating in Germany, while SNCF already held a majority stake in both operators. The project was promoted as reducing costs and providing a more seamless experience to passengers via the use of a single ticketing system and loyalty program. On 28 March 2022, the European Commission approved the merger. The rebranding of Thalys services commenced in the autumn of 2023, and is planned to be completed by early in 2024. All services of the Eurostar brand will carry a common Eurostar logo, but with the cross channel trains retaining their dark blue livery, and Thalys's rolling stock retaining its deep red livery. In April 2022, THI Factory was acquired by a new holding company, Eurostar Group; its former shareholders received a corresponding stake in the new holding company. The change of logo on the trains didn't happen in one day (see photo at right) : during a transition period, some PBA/PBKA trains with the new "Eurostar" logo could be seen together with others still wearing the older "Thalys" logo.

Beyond Brussels, the main cities Thalys trains reach are Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Liège, Aachen and Cologne. Trains to these destinations run partly on dedicated high speed tracks, and partly on conventional tracks shared with normal speed trains. The high speed lines used by Thalys are HSL 1 between Paris and Brussels, HSL 4/HSL Zuid between Antwerp and Amsterdam, and the HSL 2 and HSL 3 between Brussels and Aachen. For its seasonal operations within France, other high speed lines are used. Journeys from Brussels (Brussels South) to Paris (Gare du Nord) are normally 1 hour and 22 minutes, for a distance of approximately The peak service speed is while travelling a dedicated high speed railway track, which is typically electrified at 25 kV AC by an overhead line. The ligne à grande vitesse (LGV) link with Charles de Gaulle Airport allowed Air France to withdraw its air service between Paris and Brussels; instead, Air France transfers connecting passengers onto Thalys trains.

Thalys trains are wheelchair accessible, with the assistance of the train staff. Bicycles are not allowed on Thalys unless disassembled or packed in a special wrap. Folding bikes are allowed.

Thalys operates station lounges in Brussels and Paris. Opened on 9 July 2015, the newest lounge in Paris' Gare du Nord (not to be confused with Brussels' Gare du Nord, where Thalys trains pass through without stopping), located on
, offers travelers with a valid My Thalys World membership (Thalys's loyalty program) a variety of services, including free WiFi and a luggage storage service. For business travelers, a fully equipped meeting room is available for up to six people.