Brussels ICE Services

[Mag_seven]

I have no idea if they hold the connection if the train from Brussels is late or not.

Take it from me, they don't!

 

[Starmill]

A search for Thalys fares right now reveals the following options:

- Departure at 1925 today, cheapest single at EUR 66
- Departure at 0725 tomorrow, cheapest single at EUR 31

So slightly more expensive and slightly cheaper than similarly timed ICE departures, respectively.

Those are the cheapest Second fares, but the upgrade to First on tonight's last departure is only EUR 7, and the upgrade to Premium First is only EUR 19. The EUR 73 option seems slightly cheaper than the DB First Super Sparpreis!

 

[tasky]

A search for Thalys fares right now reveals the following options:

- Departure at 1925 today, cheapest single at EUR 66
- Departure at 0725 tomorrow, cheapest single at EUR 31

So slightly more expensive and slightly cheaper than similarly timed ICE departures, respectively.

Those are the cheapest Second fares, but the upgrade to First on tonight's last departure is only EUR 7, and the upgrade to Premium First is only EUR 19. The EUR 73 option seems slightly cheaper than the DB First Super Sparpreis!

One thing about Thalys is you can also get fed in first class, which doesn't happen on ICE. I've only had breakfast, which at the time was only a few euros more but I thought was very good. It's not a full English or anything like that but you get a choice between 'sweet' and 'salty' and they were quite generous with tea and coffee.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Well, it is! The only problem being that every other hour is an annoying Thalys TGV set, instead of the more accessible DB ICE.

I think my brain silently deleted those! I used them once, when I was only going as far as Cologne, and there was a reasonable fare in 1st so I did that. Strange ambience inside but comfortable, with friendly staff. Much more like Eurostar than the ICE. The next time I tried to use them was when southern Germany was in rail turmoil and DB wouldn't let me use a Thalys to get to Brussels so I arrived five hours late. So much for the useless Railteam, and the CIV conditions.

 

[30907]

Take it from me, they don't!

The tight connection reverts to 8min at the timetable change - the engineering works will be finished - but the turnround at Aachen remains at 8mins, so it's still going to be risky.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Interesting, the first I've heard of Eupen - Raeren - Stolberg reopening. Is it funded or just a proposal? When would it reopen?

As yet, just a proposal. The line from Stolberg is slowing extending and will soon reach Stolberg-Breinig. In this article from March, when an old viaduct was destroyed to be reconstructed, officials of the infrastructure company (Euregio Verkehrsschienennetz GmbH) say that the extension to Breinig is a first step towards Eupen, and other officials of Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR; who fund local trains in the area) say they are willing to talk about a service to Eupen as long there's also an Belgian IC to Aachen (which isn't yet the case). https://www.evs-online.com/File/az-b2-20190328-12.pdf

The extension to Eupen is also mentioned on page 7-11 (not pages 7 to 11, page "7-11"), of the 2016 NVR Regional Transport Strategy https://www.nvr.de/fileadmin/Dateien/PDF/NVR_SPNV_Nahverkehrsplan2016.pdf

There are studies being carried out, regarding an extension of the existing RB20 service to Stolberg-Breinig, and maybe Aachen-Walheim and Eupen.

Since NVR has been quite successful in reactivating old rail lines (basically of all the RB20, the RE18 cross-border line, the RB33 to Heinsberg, RB28 Düren to Euskirchen, RB25 from Gummersbach to Lüdenscheid etc), I wouldn't say it's too unlikely to happen in a few years' time.

 

[Capybara]

The tight connection reverts to 8min at the timetable change - the engineering works will be finished - but the turnround at Aachen remains at 8mins, so it's still going to be risky.

When I last used the service in September in the Aachen to Brussels direction, they did hold the Brussels service at Welkenraedt when the service from Aachen was running late. I think this was because, during the engineering works, the IC was additionally stopping at Pepinster to connect on to the Spa service there - there was only an Aachen-Welkenraedt shuttle service while the engineering works were going on. In fact, the Aachen-Welkenraedt service was late because the incoming service at Aachen had been held up by a very late Brussels-Frankfurt ICE.

But, as a rule, I always allow for at least an hour's delay when travelling this way.

 

[duesselmartin]

I never use these units now (or the overpriced Thalys service for that matter) if I arrive in Brussels on Eurostar - I just get a local service to the border with Germany then a normal DB service from there.

I prefer the ambiente of Thalys. ICE interior to me has the charme of a fridge. Taste is subjective.
Best wishes from Duisburg Germany.

 

[ainsworth74]

ICE interior to me has the charme of a fridge.

Meanwhile me, the Brit, keeps finding myself wishing "Why couldn't a UK TOC just copy paste this interior?!"

 

[superalbs]

Meanwhile me, the Brit, keeps finding myself wishing "Why couldn't a UK TOC just copy paste this interior?!"

Agreed, it's by far the best ambience I have ever seen, on any vehicle, anywhere.

 

[jopsuk]

I believe they are single voltage only.

They've to be capable of operating to Belgium, the Netherlands and France so must be multi-voltage. No preferred bidder yet(!) with a 2022 delivery date for the first one and a requirement to be able to operate in multiple with the Class 407 batch of ICE3. Initial 30 200m units with a framework for up 60 more.

 

[tasky]

Meanwhile me, the Brit, keeps finding myself wishing "Why couldn't a UK TOC just copy paste this interior?!"

I have identical feelings, I think experiencing the ICE interior is one reason I've been so unhappy with the Class 80x interiors

 

[Bletchleyite]

Meanwhile me, the Brit, keeps finding myself wishing "Why couldn't a UK TOC just copy paste this interior?!"

Apart from the poor window alignment. But that aside...why couldn't Eurostar copy-paste that interior rather than fitting an incredibly Spartan and unpleasant interior into exactly the same train? They might have had to use fake wood instead of real wood for the Tunnel fire safety regs, but it could easily have looked as nice and had the same nice seating.

(The seat itself is the Grammer ICE3000 - an upgrade on even the venerable IC3000 found sometimes in the UK!)

 

[ainsworth74]

Apart from the poor window alignment. But that aside...why couldn't Eurostar copy-paste that interior rather than fitting an incredibly Spartan and unpleasant interior into exactly the same train? They might have had to use fake wood instead of real wood for the Tunnel fire safety regs, but it could easily have looked as nice and had the same nice seating.

Ha yes! Getting off a Eurostar E320 and onto a DB ICE3 (which for those that don't know are the same family of train) in Brussels does lead to a certain amount of confusion when you try and reconcile that they're basically the same train.

 

[tasky]

Ha yes! Getting off a Eurostar E320 and onto a DB ICE3 (which for those that don't know are the same family of train) in Brussels does lead to a certain amount of confusion when you try and reconcile that they're basically the same train.

The Eurostar premier coaches are at least probably a bit better than ICE first class, got to give them that

 

[Starmill]

I have identical feelings, I think experiencing the ICE interior is one reason I've been so unhappy with the Class 80x interiors

I share this view completely.

Part of me wishes never to have seen an ICE3 in real life, so that I'm not quite so bitterly disappointed every time I step onto an GWR 800.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I share this view completely.

Part of me wishes never to have seen an ICE3 in real life, so that I'm not quite so bitterly disappointed every time I step onto an GWR 800.

ICE1s are even better, never mind the Metropolitan sets