International high-speed railway services Thalys and Eurostar will merge in 2021, CEO Bertrand Gosselin confirmed to French newspaper Le Figaro. The project has been called “Greenspeed”.
By merging the two companies, passengers can enjoy an easier high-speed train journey in northern Europe. Both Thalys and Eurostar saw a drastic passenger drop due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thalys is a French-Belgian 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, Brussels or Amsterdam to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys also serves Amsterdam (via the HSL-Zuid, a service part of NS International) and Cologne. Its system is managed by Thalys International — 70% SNCF, 30% NMBS/SNCB — and operated by THI Factory — 60% SNCF, 40% NMBS/SNCB. (wikipedia Thalys)
Eurostar is an international high-speed railway service connecting London with Amsterdam, Brussels, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Disneyland Paris, Lille, Calais-Fréthun, Marseille, Paris, and Rotterdam. All its trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operated separately by Getlink. (wikipedia Eurostar)
Thalys : le projet de fusion avec Eurostar est confirmé pour 2021 https://t.co/27LR5X2rGp
— La Tribune (@LaTribune) September 9, 2020
?’#Thalys is ready to start again to support business and tourism. We are optimistic on the longer term. Train travel has a great future » @bgoss44 CEO Watch it again on @RTBF #auvio pic.twitter.com/2wnfjBqEZL
— Thalys Newsroom (@NewsroomThalys) September 14, 2020
