Rubens (train)
The Rubens was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid in Brussels, Belgium. The train was named after Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens.[1]
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1974–1987) EuroCity (EC) (1987–1993) Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1993–1995) |
| Status | Replaced by TGV |
| Locale | France Belgium |
| First service | 29 September 1974 |
| Last service | 23 January 1995 |
| Former operator(s) | NMBS / SNCF |
| Route | |
| Start | Gare du Nord |
| Stops | none |
| End | Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid |
| Distance travelled | 310 km |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 25 kV AC (France) 3000 V DC (Belgium) |
History
Trans Europ Express
The Rubens was introduced together with the TEE Memling in the TEE-network to cope with the raising number of passengers between Paris and Brussels.[2] Both services were the first in the morning, the Rubens departed from Brussels at 6:42 in the morning, while the Memling departed from the Gare du Nord in Paris at 6:45. The return services were scheduled as the fifth of the six daily TEEs in both directions, departing around 6:45 p.m.[3]
EuroCity
In 1987 the Rubens was, like the other Paris-Brussels TEE services, integrated into the new EuroCity network.[4] On 23 May 1993 the EuroCity services between Paris and Brussels were classified as TEE again.[5] After the opening of the LGV-Nord on 23 January 1995 the Rubens was withdrawn.[6]
References
- La Légende des TEE p. 366.
- Das grosse TEE Buch p. 114
- La Légende des TEE p. 363.
- La Légende des TEE p. 367.
- La Légende des TEE p. 406.
- La Légende des TEE p. 407.
Works cited
- Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
- Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.
