Each one of those carriages is roughly one flixbus full of people and luggage, riding in comfort, doing it cheaper, and quicker. Superb! May this service have long lasting success.
That’s not how life works. Everybody in the towns this doesn’t stop at will just get a bus or car all the same. Not everyone lives in the centre of Brussels or Paris.
Eh no. We pay 35 from amsterdam to paris and 25 from Amsterdam to Brussels. That leaves a profit of zero and at least an hour more travel time. Just book in time. (You would also need to book in time to get this €10 fare, so no difference there.)
To be fair: the ouigo needs less time in advance to get the minimum price then the Eurostar if you’re flexible to when you’re traveling (like not on sundays). But this may change over time if it gets more popular! But competition is always good. Happy to see them entering service.
Love the idea but unfortunately thats not true. The Eurocity to Brussel is 14-17eu, the Ouigo is 10-13eu. So that's 24-30eu vs 35-39eu for the Eurostar, but a minor difference that you might be forgetting is the fact that the Ougio and Eurocity aren't high speed. Eurostar is 2.5 hours from Rotterdam to Paris Eurocity is 2 hours, Ougio is 3.5 hours. (+1 hour of waiting at Brussel) That means it will take almost triple the amount of time for a price difference of a few cents, i dont know but time is money. And this is in the optimal case, if you're coming from Amsterdam the Eurocity (Direct) will be a lot faster but also significantly more expensive resulting in the Eurostar being cheaper. Both are a hell with booking on time, Eurocity is already most of the time 17eu even when booking for June, that's in 6/7 months!
SNCF was against this, but SNCB pressed hard they wanted 1st class. So I kinda doubt SNCF will introduce this on their own trains. NMBS didn't even want this as a OuiGo train at all.
@@nanderv is it due to political reasons? I think it's more for commercial purposes. The new EuroCity Direct Brussels-Amsterdam also prohibits you from getting off in Antwerp when going North. Domestic journeys on a strictly international trains are not allowed. At least inside Belgium... So it could be.
@@SirThanksalot_1 I think one reason why they wouldn't want to allow something like that is to avoid filling a train designed for long distance travellers with local ones. If you don't regulate the ticket sales, people that are just interested in the initial short part of the trip could fill up all the seats, leaving none for people interested to travel further. That would make the train full before the first stop and empty for the rest of the time. If you force local passengers to take local trains, then you can use all the capacity of the long-distance train for people interesting in using it fully.
I would defintiely take this train. As a rail fan, it's always about the ride. Unless I'm in a hurry, I'd prefer the slower train. I like the XL option. It'll be worth the extra Five euros.
Wow! This has been so many years in coming! So exciting. Makes me hopeful that we might be able to unlock a rival for Eurostar services to London some point soon! Here's looking at Ouigo or Renfe for example. Great video as always!
As great as that would be, Eurostar and Ouigo are both owned by SNCF, and there's a reason SNCF fought so bitterly to prevent DB from launching a competing service via the channel tunnel. They've got a monopoly on the route, and they want to keep it that way. Of course, Ouigo shows that a low-cost competition doesn't have to reduce the passenger numbers for the conventional carrier, but I feel like the thinking is, that people travelling to london are willing and able to dish out the extortionate racket money the Eurostar is charging, so might as well keep it a monopoly for themselves.
10 дней назад+13
All the articles say that it is twice the time than with Eurostar. But if you live near Mons or Aulnoye, it’s a really better option singe you dont have to go to Brussels or Paris to take the train. For example, Mons to Brussels is 1hr and then you add 1h22 + connexion time and it’s clearly longer.
Belguim Where it is cheaper to go to a different country (10 euro to Brussels - Paris - 3 hours) then it is to travel from the coast to the capital (20 euro Ostend - Brussels - 1hour 20 )
Definitely will travel on this new route, even with the long travel time. The price is fantastic and what rail travel should be all about - options for all. Happy New Year and thank you for your great work this year!
I see it as a good addition to the existing eurostar services with a lot of potential not only for journeys between Paris and Brussels, but also for passengers from and to the Netherlands and Germany, as it would allow direct transfers with the EuroCity Direct trains from Amsterdam, EuroCity trains from Rotterdam and in future also with the planned RE29 regional trains between Brussels and Cologne.
Always wondering why Ouigo only has the refreshments option in Spain. Also, the first XL outside Spain, continuing the branding. Belgian I-11's in Ouigo and Eurocity brands... hope no more intercity domestic services in Belgium served with Desiro ML's
Considering this train is just a rebranded regular Belgian intercity train; I didn't expect any drinks or snacks, since I've never seen those in Belgian trains except for high speed trains. Of course Belgian trains trips are never that long so they're never realy needed, and for hours to Paris you most definitely can use some hydration. I guess, plan for a liter of water and some snacks in your luggage.
In Spain it's because of the way tolls are calculated on the hsr, not by the axle or weight, but by the passenger, meaning that it doesn't cost any more to have a cafe car
Very suprised that NMBS allows a third party on their tracks. O, no. It is involved in SNCF in the Eurostar-brand, the competition on this very route... Altough, it could be Rotterdam - Paris with not a lot of trouble. Why a separate Rotterdam - Brussels (via Breda, new since 2024/12/16) and a seperate Brussel - Paris? Both trains uses the same stock. Use a Vectron and run! Funfact: The Rotterdam - Brussels service runs as.... Eurocity!!
@@patricktrakzel9657 Vectron NS. It can't run on 3kV DC. SNCB has no 3 tensions.
10 дней назад
@@Quark0611 Why? Aren't AC/DC Vectrons have support for all 4 European electrification systems. I know they have CZ and PL crossed out on them, but isn't that a safety system related thing?
I think it is because OUIGO and Eurostar are run in different route (I mean OUIGO decided run the service to Paris-Nord via Mons, Aulnoye-Aymeries instead of Lille so Eurostar cannot tell like OUIGO is direct competitor.) Moreover I think SNCF also have an agreement with SNCB (NMBS I think 😅) like SNCF-DB. For me it is a good sign for both passengers and OUIGO for alternative service between two capital (I saw the news that there was a maintenance car derail in Tokaido Shinkansen and passengers between Shin-Osaka - Tokyo need to divert the route into Kanazawa via Tsuruga instead) in terms of price and emergency case in LGV Nord.
Quand on songe que les meilleurs TEE (avant le Thalys) mettaient 2h20 par la ligne classique : Ile de France, Etoile du Nord, Oiseau Bleu, Brabant, Memling, Rubens et Saphir
Etait-ce le même axe qu'ils prenaient ? Car la loco est apte à 160 j'imagine, comme les TEE des années 70, donc en maintenant le 160 ya pas de raison que les temps soient différents.
@@peter59fg c'est pas les deux malheureux arrêts qui rajoutent 40mn. C'est donc qu'ils ont détendus les horaires à mort. Mais je vois pas l'intérêt, à part ne pas faire d'ombre au TGV avec une différence de temps de trajet trop faible.
Bonne matin, formidable route du train. Le tarif est excellent! 10 Euros est moins cher!!! Je vous apprecie et je vous respecte!! Merci pour partager cette video. Je le utiliserai. Bonne journee ami Francais!!! Joyeuses Fetes.
Je préfère 1000x prendre un train plus lent et confortable qu’un TGV . Surtout qu’on ne parle pas de 5h de plus mais juste d’1h30 ce qui est acceptable surtout au regard de la différence de prix.
I've read that Saint-Quentin will be added as a stop for at least one train per day as a test until december next year. In the same article, it said that stopping there right now was not possible due to track works. That sounds a bit odd since you literally passed through the station. But I also noticed that other services from Saint-Quentin were also different than earlier this year, so it might be true. I fully agree that both Saint-Quentin and Compiègne should be added. The train runs through them anyway, and the extra 3 minutes per stop won't make a big difference, since this train is not about speed in the first place. It would make trips between these cities and the Benelux so much easier. Regarding your question: I live in Amsterdam, so since I cannot buy through tickets and thus cannot afford missing the Ouigo, I might still prefer Eurostar frim Amsterdam/Schiphol. But if I would live in Belgium I would use it for sure!
Well, they retain a little more flexibility in case of engineering with fewer stops, but it's also the SNCF being the SNCF, and having little to no respect for cities other than Paris. So I hope the stop in St-Quentin is successful, perhaps not carrying thousands, but definitely more than a few tens a day...
Apparemment ils ont déja vendu 5000 tickets depuis l'annonce de ce train on peut dire que le train part su de bons rails :p, sinon il envisage de rajouter un arrêt a St-Quentin en 2025.
The only thing that bothers me is that for semi long distances SNCB doesn't have a bar carriage... And that i'm saying as a Belgian! Fe. Ostend - Eupen. This one needs it zlso hard.
I'm proud to be working with this train every day. Although hopefully the carriage numbering will soon change to an interior numbering lol. It gives us way to much work now
Franchement une pépite ce train et ce trajet. Merci pour tout ton travail et heureux d'en savoir un peu plus sur toi (ton ancien boulot au dépot de maintenance;). Sinon pour répondre à ta question: J'ai très peu de chance de me rendre à Bruxelles dans l'immédiat, mais le jour où l'occasion se présentera je n'hésiterais pas une seconde à prendre ce ouigo train classique. Le prix bas est une chose, mais en tant que ferrovipathe, j'ai toujours trouvé que le trajet en Thalys était trop frustant de par sa rapidité. On ne profite même pas du voyage. Et au délà de ça, ces nouvelles voitures empruntées à la SNCB semblent tellement plus modernes, acueillantes et confortables, que le +5€ pour la "XL coach" donne une plus-value conséquente!
Lol! I watched the video you made on the eurocity from Brussels to Paris and was searching it up, then I watched this and realised that this is the continuation 😅. Anyway nice channel, you're very informative! I'm probably trying this.
In the summer these train will be packed with Interrailers and as mentioned in the comments in combination with the Eurocity to Rotterdam, this train will be a success!
The Interrail is not valid on this train. Buying the extra ticket will be cheaper than the supplement you have to pay for the TGV though, so worth it. I11 are very nice coaches.
Good Video as is usual for your reviews. And, yes, I would use either service depending on whatever would serve particular circumstances. Trains over roads always!
Back when I was a student in Brussels, with frequent commute to Paris, I would always take my car (it was way cheaper than Thalys with carsharing). If such a service had been available back then I would have 100% used it.
I would happily travel by either option. My itinerary would be the determining factor. Then again, I'd travel by train anyway!!! Merci beacoup, Thibault. Joyeux Noël!!
Thank you for this report, Thibault. I’d definitely take this train for my personal travels. These coaches are indeed very comfortable. As regards the timing: it is still faster than the train connecting Brussels and Luxembourg (a roughly 210 km. trip I frequently have to make but that takes 3h15m if all goes to plan 🥺). Also, I like Jon’s - unless I am mistaken - comments on the the voltage change.
I love trains my choice is this cheaper train between Paris and Brussels. what I like to see is a night train from Cambridge to Paris. Departure from Cambridge @ 8pm and arriving in gare du Nord at 7am
I would definitely consider this. This year in March when I travelled from The Netherlands via Paris to the French Alps, I travelled by Flixbus from Utrecht to Paris, then slept there, then took a Flixbus to Lyon and then a train from there to Bourg Saint Maurice. And that was (even with hotel included) a lot cheaper then travelling by Eurostar + TGV via Paris in one day. It was a very long journey from Utrecht to Paris by bus though (with a delay of over an hour due to traffic jams), so if I could travel by train to France for a bit more money, but more reliably and comfortably, I would definitely consider that.
I wonder will SNCF consider "classic line" OuiGo services in other parts of France? Lyon-Marseille, Marseille east to the Italian border along the Côte d'Azur, and Paris to Cherbourg could be considered.
This new service makes sense for those living in the smaller towns between Paris and Brussels. This is what having a train service is all about. Removes the need to "backtrack" to the big city at either end then catch the high-speed Eurostar. What about Interrail validity on this route? I guess not at all because Ouigo? Ideally, I would like to see this thing be run as a "classic" EC train found in other countries. The airline-like nonsense makes the experience less ideal : restrictive bag policy, mandatory reservations where you have to respect your assigned number (and find out you have no table for your laptop if you have an aisle seat in a bay of four) or risk a "sorry you occupy my seat" argument, restriction on domestic use. But, at least, we have a good start at restoring the classic service. In Switzerland, I can use EC trains to Italy / ICE trains to Germany / some TGVs for domestic journeys without reservation and the same tickets & passes as other local trains. An ideal scenario in my opinion. The XL seat option is one nice touch that would be cool to have on other Ouigo services in France too. They know how to do it well in Spain!
Je n'ai jamais été emballé par Ouigo, considérant que la SNCF ne saura décidément jamais rien faire d'autre que du transport de masse. J'avoue que les Classic sont plus intéressants, surtout pour les gares desservies. l'arrêt à Aulnoye rempli peut-etre un manque dans ses relations avec la capitale. Enfin, je ne pense pas utiliser ce service. J'habite Marne la vallée et nous avons des relations TGV avec BXL, un peu plus longue que Eurostar mais moins chère aussi.
What a question! Of course I would prefer a 10€ slow voyage over a 100€ fast train. It is 90 minutes and 90 euros difference! And my time is, at least at my job, cheaper than 1€/min :D Also, from the slower train you can see the real Belgium and real France, with villages and everything. From an LGV line, the view is like from a motorway.
I'd love to explore the old conventional line between Brussels and Paris. And for the route, the new Ouigo actually spares a travel day for Interrail. The Eurostar/TGV supplement costs at least 20 EUR if you can get it (limited seats), and you can travel by Ouigo for less without using Interrail (it's not even valid).
I think this is a great new option for people to just hop between the 2 cities. If you're travelling this route a lot, money will probably become more important than extra time at the destination.
I would definitely consider it, and would take it depending on mood, how busy I was and whether it was part of a longer trip. (And whether it was late in the month when my pension is running out)
I wonder why this route isn't like the Madrid to Barcelona route with lots of competitors? Capacity or SNCF somehow makes it difficult for other countries to enter?
You mentioned the switch to 25kv AC when entering France. I was under the impression conventional lines were 1500 DC in France? or have some conventional lines been upgraded to 25kv ? Did the train reach 230kmh often during trip? Curious on actual running speeds once you excluse the slow zones (border, stations etc).
Horrible to hear it is branded Ouigo. I once travelled with Ouigo, just because there was no regular TGV at the time I had to travel. It was a very bad experience. I had a folding bike with me. I have been travelling with the folding bike on the train for 20 years without ever having to pack it, but on the Ouigo, not only you have to pack you bike, you have to pack it before going to the platform. And then try to carry it all the way to your carriage. And you cannot take your time to do it, they give access to the platform only at the last minute. For me, Ouigo = Nogo. And with the new "classical" train, do you have to book in advance ? With the real classical train, you could just buy a ticket, board the train immediately and sit where you wanted (actually, I once did the complete trip from Brussels to Paris standing, because there were no free seats any more in the coach that I boarded. Another problem is that it runs only three times a day. The classical train ran more often. In fact, what is the difference between that new Ouigo and the older Izy ? It did not run very long...
They should have brought back the Izy service which was operated by Thalys until 2022, the timetables were more convenient, for me anyway. For your bike, unfortunately Ouigo is low cost so I'm not surprised, it's like Ryanair, Easyjet and Transavia with all the disadvantages of low cost...
Great video as always Thibault - many thanks. It’s really good to some sort of competition for Eurostar. I wish we had competition on the London to Paris/Brussels routes. OK, the Ouigo is much slower but, unless I was in a hurry, I think I’d take it in preference to Eurostar. Not so much because of the cost but I much prefer the environment of EC carriages. I find TGV carriages (especially the duplex) rather cramped and uncomfortable, even in first class.
These are the best carriages NMBS provides. Too bad there will be less available for local services now as they will be used in the regular service to Rotterdam as well. . I certainly will use this service one day.
Great trip. Looks like Ouigo brand is more marketable and having value added than EuroCity if we talking about classic day train from or to France, even though OuiGo is low cost brand. I don't know if inOui brand is exclusive for High Speed Train (TGV) only or any train can use it, but if any train can use it, that's a great deal.
because that's like the absolute minimum if you book way in advance ... like at least a month before. In fact it could cost more to get from some places in Belgium to Brussels to take this train.
@@remi2251Huh? You Think that you can not buy a ticket two weeks before its first ride? What a strange thought, thinking they would want the first ride to be empty….
It should be mandatory for companies to advert with the NORMAL price. Cheaper tickets are there to discover, for those willing to look and book early. Same goes for planes and cruises. There are no 8 prices on a bread in the supermarket, are they?
We can't wait to create a Brussels-London via Lille. I think that by TGV ouigo it would be feasible and would reduce the cost of travel between these three cities. 😅
No, when you buy cross channel services, 70% of what you pay goes to Getlink (the Eurotunnel company). No way anyone can launch a service with this toll.
@hugo94608 Nothing prevents you from adapting the equipment. Or, why not use a conventional train, change locomotives at the entrance and exit of the tunnel with locomotives from the country and from the euro tunnel (Those used for cars)
I think a lot depends on the nature of the journey, if I was a tourist on a budget then I'd definitely use the service, likewise a rail enthusiast. Otherwise if time was tight then bite the bullet and pay the price.
Surprised SNCB would adopt the "ouigo" brand which is synonymous with cramped , no service, low quality. I am curious what the cost per passenger would be if they provided a proper conventional train versus Ouigo configuration.
Would love to try this out, but I hope it doesn't fall victim to its success. I can already see the overloaded luggage racks and youtubers having to jump over luggage (or even muscular dogs) clogging the alleys...
11:10 I would like to see luggage compartment in these i11 (or maybe a i10 car converted for bike and luggage transportation). And bring back the Diner Car !
6:24 Oh yeah, these are the new refurbished i11 with power outlets everywhere (instead of only 4 by coaches before). But I really don't like the ouigo visual identity on them :/
Are you sure about power outlets in all classes? The IC Brussels-Luxembourg used to have I11 coaches until last week, second class had power outlets only at both ends of a coach.
A next day upload !!! Félicitations Thibault! PS: this train makes economic and environmental sense. It's a given. On a short distance like Paris-Brussels, I'd actually prefer it to Eurostar (stupid name! It's Thalys!). But i doubt I'd ever ride it because I'm ... not keen on Brussels (we'll say to be polite).😁
One question, the old trains did this in like 2 hours 20 minutes, where does the extra 47 minutes of travel time come from? (it looks like they take the same route and both trains can do 160 km/h (these trains can even do 200 (the old ones could not)).
Well lets hope this lasts. This aint the first attempt at a budget train between Paris and Brussels after all, there was Izy in the 2010's. This does look like a great link and it really seems like Europe is entering a budget train golden age. Between operators like Ouigo, Lumo, Flixtrain, and Snälltåget, not to mention GoVolta coming in the future from the Netherlands, it seems like theres gonna be so many options in the future. Even DSB, Denmarks state railways, is likely gonna try and compete to some extent. They dont have particularly good service but their dynamically priced fares, the orange tickets, can very much hold their own against budget offers.
Eurocity c'est surtout un réseau/label mis en avant par les allemands, autrichiens, italiens etc. qui n'ont pas une marque internationale aussi forte et reconnue comme Eurostar (essentiellement française) Les français se contrefichent des trains qui circulent entre l'allemagne et la suisse ou entre l'italie et l'autriche...
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Each one of those carriages is roughly one flixbus full of people and luggage, riding in comfort, doing it cheaper, and quicker. Superb! May this service have long lasting success.
And more ecological too!
That’s not how life works. Everybody in the towns this doesn’t stop at will just get a bus or car all the same. Not everyone lives in the centre of Brussels or Paris.
@@xr6lad It does still stop in three more towns/cities along the way.
A bus has less capacity than a carriage
It's closer to two buses, than it is to one bus per carriage
Its good news to have a classic train connection between Brussels and Paris again so you dont need to travel on the expensive Eurostar anymore
If you even can. That thing's booked solid half of the time.
@@bomcabedal the Eurostar?
@@bomcabedalmaybe if it stays that way they can do a few more per day
@@MacMasore Since they haven't in the past decade I don't think they will now.
Eurostar has added last minute deals from 35 € but you can't choose the train
5:07 The guy in a green jacket is me!😊
Combining this with the Eurocity to Rotterdam you pay half the price of eurostar for a one way ticket rotterdam to paris
Eh no. We pay 35 from amsterdam to paris and 25 from Amsterdam to Brussels. That leaves a profit of zero and at least an hour more travel time. Just book in time. (You would also need to book in time to get this €10 fare, so no difference there.)
To be fair: the ouigo needs less time in advance to get the minimum price then the Eurostar if you’re flexible to when you’re traveling (like not on sundays). But this may change over time if it gets more popular! But competition is always good. Happy to see them entering service.
Love the idea but unfortunately thats not true.
The Eurocity to Brussel is 14-17eu, the Ouigo is 10-13eu. So that's 24-30eu vs 35-39eu for the Eurostar, but a minor difference that you might be forgetting is the fact that the Ougio and Eurocity aren't high speed.
Eurostar is 2.5 hours from Rotterdam to Paris
Eurocity is 2 hours, Ougio is 3.5 hours. (+1 hour of waiting at Brussel) That means it will take almost triple the amount of time for a price difference of a few cents, i dont know but time is money.
And this is in the optimal case, if you're coming from Amsterdam the Eurocity (Direct) will be a lot faster but also significantly more expensive resulting in the Eurostar being cheaper.
Both are a hell with booking on time, Eurocity is already most of the time 17eu even when booking for June, that's in 6/7 months!
For 3x the time.
@@tijsbeek8590ouigo is high speed what do u mean? Eurocity isn’t
I would definitely take this train - I love the idea of the XL option. I would like to see this on the original Ouigo Classics in France.
SNCF was against this, but SNCB pressed hard they wanted 1st class. So I kinda doubt SNCF will introduce this on their own trains. NMBS didn't even want this as a OuiGo train at all.
Love how the personel tells you at departure it is forbidden to leave the train at Mons station and you end up making footage in the station ;)
The announcement is because, due to political nonsense, the train is not allowed to be used for journeys within Belgium.
They have special agents ready to run and catch any passenger who tries to leave the station :D
@@nanderv let me guess: even the cheapest SNCB Ticket is more then 10€ and they want them to eat in their revenue?
@@nanderv is it due to political reasons? I think it's more for commercial purposes. The new EuroCity Direct Brussels-Amsterdam also prohibits you from getting off in Antwerp when going North. Domestic journeys on a strictly international trains are not allowed. At least inside Belgium... So it could be.
@@SirThanksalot_1 I think one reason why they wouldn't want to allow something like that is to avoid filling a train designed for long distance travellers with local ones. If you don't regulate the ticket sales, people that are just interested in the initial short part of the trip could fill up all the seats, leaving none for people interested to travel further. That would make the train full before the first stop and empty for the rest of the time. If you force local passengers to take local trains, then you can use all the capacity of the long-distance train for people interesting in using it fully.
I would defintiely take this train. As a rail fan, it's always about the ride. Unless I'm in a hurry, I'd prefer the slower train. I like the XL option. It'll be worth the extra Five euros.
Yeah the I11 first class is 🤌
Wow! This has been so many years in coming! So exciting. Makes me hopeful that we might be able to unlock a rival for Eurostar services to London some point soon! Here's looking at Ouigo or Renfe for example.
Great video as always!
As great as that would be, Eurostar and Ouigo are both owned by SNCF, and there's a reason SNCF fought so bitterly to prevent DB from launching a competing service via the channel tunnel. They've got a monopoly on the route, and they want to keep it that way. Of course, Ouigo shows that a low-cost competition doesn't have to reduce the passenger numbers for the conventional carrier, but I feel like the thinking is, that people travelling to london are willing and able to dish out the extortionate racket money the Eurostar is charging, so might as well keep it a monopoly for themselves.
All the articles say that it is twice the time than with Eurostar. But if you live near Mons or Aulnoye, it’s a really better option singe you dont have to go to Brussels or Paris to take the train. For example, Mons to Brussels is 1hr and then you add 1h22 + connexion time and it’s clearly longer.
Ce n’est pas du tout la même approche, ni finalité.
Belguim
Where it is cheaper to go to a different country (10 euro to Brussels - Paris - 3 hours) then it is to travel from the coast to the capital (20 euro Ostend - Brussels - 1hour 20 )
That’s awesome that they found another way to link Paris and Brussels not just for the Olympics!
Definitely will travel on this new route, even with the long travel time. The price is fantastic and what rail travel should be all about - options for all. Happy New Year and thank you for your great work this year!
How nice to see an affordable new non-high speed alternative.
La grande classe les voitures I11
Le train est plein, il répond bien à une demande.
Oui, les voitures I11 sont confortables
Incredible value! We could never in the UK.
het is gelukkig inderdaad een mooie come-back van de conventionele trein! prachtig en een goede ontwikkeling!
I see it as a good addition to the existing eurostar services with a lot of potential not only for journeys between Paris and Brussels, but also for passengers from and to the Netherlands and Germany, as it would allow direct transfers with the EuroCity Direct trains from Amsterdam, EuroCity trains from Rotterdam and in future also with the planned RE29 regional trains between Brussels and Cologne.
Always wondering why Ouigo only has the refreshments option in Spain. Also, the first XL outside Spain, continuing the branding.
Belgian I-11's in Ouigo and Eurocity brands... hope no more intercity domestic services in Belgium served with Desiro ML's
Considering this train is just a rebranded regular Belgian intercity train; I didn't expect any drinks or snacks, since I've never seen those in Belgian trains except for high speed trains. Of course Belgian trains trips are never that long so they're never realy needed, and for hours to Paris you most definitely can use some hydration. I guess, plan for a liter of water and some snacks in your luggage.
In Spain it's because of the way tolls are calculated on the hsr, not by the axle or weight, but by the passenger, meaning that it doesn't cost any more to have a cafe car
Very suprised that NMBS allows a third party on their tracks. O, no. It is involved in SNCF in the Eurostar-brand, the competition on this very route... Altough, it could be Rotterdam - Paris with not a lot of trouble. Why a separate Rotterdam - Brussels (via Breda, new since 2024/12/16) and a seperate Brussel - Paris? Both trains uses the same stock. Use a Vectron and run! Funfact: The Rotterdam - Brussels service runs as.... Eurocity!!
The Vectron cannot run under 1,500kV DC. Not even on 'half' power.
@@Quark0611 The IC Amsterdam-Berlin is pulled by a Vectron, as is the EC Rotterdam-Brussels.
@@patricktrakzel9657 Vectron NS. It can't run on 3kV DC. SNCB has no 3 tensions.
@@Quark0611
Why?
Aren't AC/DC Vectrons have support for all 4 European electrification systems.
I know they have CZ and PL crossed out on them, but isn't that a safety system related thing?
I think it is because OUIGO and Eurostar are run in different route (I mean OUIGO decided run the service to Paris-Nord via Mons, Aulnoye-Aymeries instead of Lille so Eurostar cannot tell like OUIGO is direct competitor.) Moreover I think SNCF also have an agreement with SNCB (NMBS I think 😅) like SNCF-DB.
For me it is a good sign for both passengers and OUIGO for alternative service between two capital (I saw the news that there was a maintenance car derail in Tokaido Shinkansen and passengers between Shin-Osaka - Tokyo need to divert the route into Kanazawa via Tsuruga instead) in terms of price and emergency case in LGV Nord.
Quand on songe que les meilleurs TEE (avant le Thalys) mettaient 2h20 par la ligne classique :
Ile de France, Etoile du Nord, Oiseau Bleu, Brabant, Memling, Rubens et Saphir
Etait-ce le même axe qu'ils prenaient ? Car la loco est apte à 160 j'imagine, comme les TEE des années 70, donc en maintenant le 160 ya pas de raison que les temps soient différents.
@@flyakwa La ligne classique passe bien par St Quentin puis Mons (B).
En revanche, les TEE ne marquaient pas d'arrêt.
@@peter59fg c'est pas les deux malheureux arrêts qui rajoutent 40mn.
C'est donc qu'ils ont détendus les horaires à mort. Mais je vois pas l'intérêt, à part ne pas faire d'ombre au TGV avec une différence de temps de trajet trop faible.
@@flyakwa L'essentiel étant de répondre à une demande du public.
Après, chacun en a pour son argent et sont temps....
@@flyakwa Les TEE mettaient 2 h 20, les trains rapides "toutes classes" environ 2 h 45 avec arrêts à Mons, Aulnoye et Saint Quentin
Bonne matin, formidable route du train. Le tarif est excellent! 10 Euros est moins cher!!! Je vous apprecie et je vous respecte!! Merci pour partager cette video. Je le utiliserai. Bonne journee ami Francais!!! Joyeuses Fetes.
Je préfère 1000x prendre un train plus lent et confortable qu’un TGV . Surtout qu’on ne parle pas de 5h de plus mais juste d’1h30 ce qui est acceptable surtout au regard de la différence de prix.
I've read that Saint-Quentin will be added as a stop for at least one train per day as a test until december next year. In the same article, it said that stopping there right now was not possible due to track works. That sounds a bit odd since you literally passed through the station. But I also noticed that other services from Saint-Quentin were also different than earlier this year, so it might be true. I fully agree that both Saint-Quentin and Compiègne should be added. The train runs through them anyway, and the extra 3 minutes per stop won't make a big difference, since this train is not about speed in the first place. It would make trips between these cities and the Benelux so much easier.
Regarding your question: I live in Amsterdam, so since I cannot buy through tickets and thus cannot afford missing the Ouigo, I might still prefer Eurostar frim Amsterdam/Schiphol. But if I would live in Belgium I would use it for sure!
Well, they retain a little more flexibility in case of engineering with fewer stops, but it's also the SNCF being the SNCF, and having little to no respect for cities other than Paris. So I hope the stop in St-Quentin is successful, perhaps not carrying thousands, but definitely more than a few tens a day...
Yes, i would 100% take this train despite the longer travel time. Great idea by both countries to start this train
Thank you for the video! Happy holidays to you as well. 🎄
Apparemment ils ont déja vendu 5000 tickets depuis l'annonce de ce train on peut dire que le train part su de bons rails :p, sinon il envisage de rajouter un arrêt a St-Quentin en 2025.
@@tecmons Mons : avant-première de la nouvelle cathédrale
@@frederique.michelle.louise Probablement, mais tu as aussi déja une offre de deux trains par heure en semaine entre Mons et Bruxelles
Would be awesome if this train service could be extended to the Netherlands via either Breda or Roosendaal
Nice to see electricity plugs in these trains! This is a welcome upgrade! I hope they also upgrade the MS96 inside Belgium
La vie en Rose 💖 after Paris 2024
Definitely take the cheaper option as one can sit almost anywhere for 3 hours. Longer trips require some luxuries. Love your watch!
Ma région Hauts-de-France toujours aussi belle ❤
The only thing that bothers me is that for semi long distances SNCB doesn't have a bar carriage... And that i'm saying as a Belgian! Fe. Ostend - Eupen. This one needs it zlso hard.
I'm proud to be working with this train every day. Although hopefully the carriage numbering will soon change to an interior numbering lol. It gives us way to much work now
Franchement une pépite ce train et ce trajet. Merci pour tout ton travail et heureux d'en savoir un peu plus sur toi (ton ancien boulot au dépot de maintenance;).
Sinon pour répondre à ta question:
J'ai très peu de chance de me rendre à Bruxelles dans l'immédiat, mais le jour où l'occasion se présentera je n'hésiterais pas une seconde à prendre ce ouigo train classique.
Le prix bas est une chose, mais en tant que ferrovipathe, j'ai toujours trouvé que le trajet en Thalys était trop frustant de par sa rapidité.
On ne profite même pas du voyage.
Et au délà de ça, ces nouvelles voitures empruntées à la SNCB semblent tellement plus modernes, acueillantes et confortables, que le +5€ pour la "XL coach" donne une plus-value conséquente!
Lol! I watched the video you made on the eurocity from Brussels to Paris and was searching it up, then I watched this and realised that this is the continuation 😅. Anyway nice channel, you're very informative! I'm probably trying this.
Bonne soiree! Excellent tarif et video! Merci pour partager.
I would absolutely consider taking this train. In 2013 I travelled from Paris to Brussels Midi and it cost a fortune on Thalys.
In the summer these train will be packed with Interrailers and as mentioned in the comments in combination with the Eurocity to Rotterdam, this train will be a success!
The Interrail is not valid on this train. Buying the extra ticket will be cheaper than the supplement you have to pay for the TGV though, so worth it. I11 are very nice coaches.
Good Video as is usual for your reviews. And, yes, I would use either service depending on whatever would serve particular circumstances. Trains over roads always!
Back when I was a student in Brussels, with frequent commute to Paris, I would always take my car (it was way cheaper than Thalys with carsharing). If such a service had been available back then I would have 100% used it.
Love the pink. I would love to go on this train. They could fix those train stations. I am from Canada. Canada should have train services like this.
This is the first Ouigo classique service that is actually wheelchair accessible so that is definitely a plus.
I would happily travel by either option. My itinerary would be the determining factor. Then again, I'd travel by train anyway!!! Merci beacoup, Thibault. Joyeux Noël!!
@ 11:19 Instead of just making a statement but not explaining why is not fair. Please explain why a ride/seat on a FlixBus is uncomfortable.
They should add more stops (as mentioned) and upgrade the line to 200 km/h to keep the traveling time competitive.
Great. The longer the ride, the better for me.
Thank you for this report, Thibault. I’d definitely take this train for my personal travels. These coaches are indeed very comfortable. As regards the timing: it is still faster than the train connecting Brussels and Luxembourg (a roughly 210 km. trip I frequently have to make but that takes 3h15m if all goes to plan 🥺). Also, I like Jon’s - unless I am mistaken - comments on the the voltage change.
Yes I would certainly use this service.
Good connection for good price!
Joyeuses fêtes!
We need more trains like this across Europe!
I love trains my choice is this cheaper train between Paris and Brussels. what I like to see is a night train from Cambridge to Paris. Departure from Cambridge @ 8pm and arriving in gare du Nord at 7am
Paris to Brussels for 10€? Superb!!
I would definitely consider this.
This year in March when I travelled from The Netherlands via Paris to the French Alps, I travelled by Flixbus from Utrecht to Paris, then slept there, then took a Flixbus to Lyon and then a train from there to Bourg Saint Maurice. And that was (even with hotel included) a lot cheaper then travelling by Eurostar + TGV via Paris in one day. It was a very long journey from Utrecht to Paris by bus though (with a delay of over an hour due to traffic jams), so if I could travel by train to France for a bit more money, but more reliably and comfortably, I would definitely consider that.
The Ouigo livery blends really well with the I11 cars.
I wonder will SNCF consider "classic line" OuiGo services in other parts of France? Lyon-Marseille, Marseille east to the Italian border along the Côte d'Azur, and Paris to Cherbourg could be considered.
If there are classic TER driving, why should they?
This new service makes sense for those living in the smaller towns between Paris and Brussels. This is what having a train service is all about.
Removes the need to "backtrack" to the big city at either end then catch the high-speed Eurostar.
What about Interrail validity on this route? I guess not at all because Ouigo?
Ideally, I would like to see this thing be run as a "classic" EC train found in other countries.
The airline-like nonsense makes the experience less ideal : restrictive bag policy, mandatory reservations where you have to respect your assigned number (and find out you have no table for your laptop if you have an aisle seat in a bay of four) or risk a "sorry you occupy my seat" argument, restriction on domestic use. But, at least, we have a good start at restoring the classic service.
In Switzerland, I can use EC trains to Italy / ICE trains to Germany / some TGVs for domestic journeys without reservation and the same tickets & passes as other local trains. An ideal scenario in my opinion.
The XL seat option is one nice touch that would be cool to have on other Ouigo services in France too. They know how to do it well in Spain!
I would definitely take this at the lower price. I do not ride the trains for speed however. Enjoy your Holidays!
Je n'ai jamais été emballé par Ouigo, considérant que la SNCF ne saura décidément jamais rien faire d'autre que du transport de masse. J'avoue que les Classic sont plus intéressants, surtout pour les gares desservies. l'arrêt à Aulnoye rempli peut-etre un manque dans ses relations avec la capitale. Enfin, je ne pense pas utiliser ce service. J'habite Marne la vallée et nous avons des relations TGV avec BXL, un peu plus longue que Eurostar mais moins chère aussi.
What a question! Of course I would prefer a 10€ slow voyage over a 100€ fast train. It is 90 minutes and 90 euros difference! And my time is, at least at my job, cheaper than 1€/min :D
Also, from the slower train you can see the real Belgium and real France, with villages and everything. From an LGV line, the view is like from a motorway.
I'd love to explore the old conventional line between Brussels and Paris.
And for the route, the new Ouigo actually spares a travel day for Interrail. The Eurostar/TGV supplement costs at least 20 EUR if you can get it (limited seats), and you can travel by Ouigo for less without using Interrail (it's not even valid).
I think this is a great new option for people to just hop between the 2 cities. If you're travelling this route a lot, money will probably become more important than extra time at the destination.
I would definitely consider it, and would take it depending on mood, how busy I was and whether it was part of a longer trip. (And whether it was late in the month when my pension is running out)
It doesn’t even feel like RyanAir. I mean you can’t go wrong with having first class-like seats in some carriages and power supply.
12:30 Saint Quentin will be a stop in the future. Starting in April 2025 if memory serves.
We used OUIGO Classique from Tours to Paris. Great experience!
I wonder why this route isn't like the Madrid to Barcelona route with lots of competitors? Capacity or SNCF somehow makes it difficult for other countries to enter?
loved the random commentaries by the belgian guy about the marseille-nice line haha
You mentioned the switch to 25kv AC when entering France. I was under the impression conventional lines were 1500 DC in France? or have some conventional lines been upgraded to 25kv ? Did the train reach 230kmh often during trip? Curious on actual running speeds once you excluse the slow zones (border, stations etc).
I would take it - if I was not doing the journey in my camping-car with a few stops in aires and several good FR and B meals on the way.
€10 for BXL -> Paris, €10.80 BXL-> Ghent. What?
Horrible to hear it is branded Ouigo. I once travelled with Ouigo, just because there was no regular TGV at the time I had to travel. It was a very bad experience. I had a folding bike with me. I have been travelling with the folding bike on the train for 20 years without ever having to pack it, but on the Ouigo, not only you have to pack you bike, you have to pack it before going to the platform. And then try to carry it all the way to your carriage. And you cannot take your time to do it, they give access to the platform only at the last minute. For me, Ouigo = Nogo.
And with the new "classical" train, do you have to book in advance ? With the real classical train, you could just buy a ticket, board the train immediately and sit where you wanted (actually, I once did the complete trip from Brussels to Paris standing, because there were no free seats any more in the coach that I boarded. Another problem is that it runs only three times a day. The classical train ran more often.
In fact, what is the difference between that new Ouigo and the older Izy ? It did not run very long...
They should have brought back the Izy service which was operated by Thalys until 2022, the timetables were more convenient, for me anyway. For your bike, unfortunately Ouigo is low cost so I'm not surprised, it's like Ryanair, Easyjet and Transavia with all the disadvantages of low cost...
Great video as always Thibault - many thanks. It’s really good to some sort of competition for Eurostar. I wish we had competition on the London to Paris/Brussels routes. OK, the Ouigo is much slower but, unless I was in a hurry, I think I’d take it in preference to Eurostar. Not so much because of the cost but I much prefer the environment of EC carriages. I find TGV carriages (especially the duplex) rather cramped and uncomfortable, even in first class.
These are the best carriages NMBS provides. Too bad there will be less available for local services now as they will be used in the regular service to Rotterdam as well. . I certainly will use this service one day.
Great trip. Looks like Ouigo brand is more marketable and having value added than EuroCity if we talking about classic day train from or to France, even though OuiGo is low cost brand. I don't know if inOui brand is exclusive for High Speed Train (TGV) only or any train can use it, but if any train can use it, that's a great deal.
Why is this trip listed from Paris to Brussels? It looks like it is from Brussels to Paris?
But I would bet very few people get the 10 Euro price. I am taking this train on Sunday … and a week ago I paid 29 Euros for the ticket.
Highly doubt you did it 2 weeks ago as yesterday was the first ever schedule for this train
because that's like the absolute minimum if you book way in advance ... like at least a month before. In fact it could cost more to get from some places in Belgium to Brussels to take this train.
@@remi2251Huh? You Think that you can not buy a ticket two weeks before its first ride? What a strange thought, thinking they would want the first ride to be empty….
@@remi2251 Look again, I wrote "I am taking this train on Sunday", that is to say, two days from now. The ticket though, I bought last week.
It should be mandatory for companies to advert with the NORMAL price. Cheaper tickets are there to discover, for those willing to look and book early. Same goes for planes and cruises. There are no 8 prices on a bread in the supermarket, are they?
This looks quite similar to the offer from FlixTrain in Germany. Might have been a move to anticipate a possible expansion from FlixTrain to France
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année !
Thank you! It is really worth not more than 10 euro!
We can't wait to create a Brussels-London via Lille. I think that by TGV ouigo it would be feasible and would reduce the cost of travel between these three cities. 😅
No, when you buy cross channel services, 70% of what you pay goes to Getlink (the Eurotunnel company). No way anyone can launch a service with this toll.
Sadly only Eurostar material is compatible with the safety measures in the Channel Tunnel
@hugo94608 Nothing prevents you from adapting the equipment. Or, why not use a conventional train, change locomotives at the entrance and exit of the tunnel with locomotives from the country and from the euro tunnel (Those used for cars)
@virgile_mine you should pressurise the train during the crossing like an airplane, it's not a cheap mod
@@hugo94608 Oh OK. I didn't know. Too bad. We'll still have to be plucked by Eurostar to go to London 😢
I'd def. take it!
a snack trolley or dining cars would be nice, but a thing "we" should import from Japan again Vending mashines in trains
I wonder if Ouigo considers buying the old NS ICR coaches for a cheap connection from e.g. Amsterdam-Brussels, or Amsterdam-Frankfurt.
I think a lot depends on the nature of the journey, if I was a tourist on a budget then I'd definitely use the service, likewise a rail enthusiast. Otherwise if time was tight then bite the bullet and pay the price.
Surprised SNCB would adopt the "ouigo" brand which is synonymous with cramped , no service, low quality. I am curious what the cost per passenger would be if they provided a proper conventional train versus Ouigo configuration.
Would love to try this out, but I hope it doesn't fall victim to its success. I can already see the overloaded luggage racks and youtubers having to jump over luggage (or even muscular dogs) clogging the alleys...
11:10 I would like to see luggage compartment in these i11 (or maybe a i10 car converted for bike and luggage transportation). And bring back the Diner Car !
6:24 Oh yeah, these are the new refurbished i11 with power outlets everywhere (instead of only 4 by coaches before). But I really don't like the ouigo visual identity on them :/
Are you sure about power outlets in all classes? The IC Brussels-Luxembourg used to have I11 coaches until last week, second class had power outlets only at both ends of a coach.
I think during the Olympics, trains should use carriages with more seats.
I wish cheap options like this were available in Sweden where it’s super expensive traveling by train….
A next day upload !!! Félicitations Thibault!
PS: this train makes economic and environmental sense. It's a given. On a short distance like Paris-Brussels, I'd actually prefer it to Eurostar (stupid name! It's Thalys!). But i doubt I'd ever ride it because I'm ... not keen on Brussels (we'll say to be polite).😁
One question, the old trains did this in like 2 hours 20 minutes, where does the extra 47 minutes of travel time come from? (it looks like they take the same route and both trains can do 160 km/h (these trains can even do 200 (the old ones could not)).
Depends really, am I travelling onwards? Because if one of the cities is my destination for the day, I’d gladly nap for an extra hour on the train.
Are they planning on changing the interior to be more in the style of Ouigo?
Please don’t, this is so cheap.
@Antwan86 yeah but it fails to differentiate itself from regular SNCB trains
No buffer car?
Well lets hope this lasts. This aint the first attempt at a budget train between Paris and Brussels after all, there was Izy in the 2010's.
This does look like a great link and it really seems like Europe is entering a budget train golden age. Between operators like Ouigo, Lumo, Flixtrain, and Snälltåget, not to mention GoVolta coming in the future from the Netherlands, it seems like theres gonna be so many options in the future. Even DSB, Denmarks state railways, is likely gonna try and compete to some extent. They dont have particularly good service but their dynamically priced fares, the orange tickets, can very much hold their own against budget offers.
It really says something about the last few decades of international train travel when people in France don't recognize the EuroCity brand...
Eurocity c'est surtout un réseau/label mis en avant par les allemands, autrichiens, italiens etc. qui n'ont pas une marque internationale aussi forte et reconnue comme Eurostar (essentiellement française)
Les français se contrefichent des trains qui circulent entre l'allemagne et la suisse ou entre l'italie et l'autriche...
Je dois l’essayer un jour, ou au moins le spot