These trains have been almost 30 years driving in Belgium, i liked them since i came to live in Brussels and so far i find them beautiful, the time has not changed their beauty, now i am going to watch the supposed beautiful trip.
I love these older style loco-hauled trains (or push-pull). It makes me want to start using trains again. Heck even the seats align with the windows! Lovely train and thanks for showing it. Sadly loco-hauled has virtually disappeared in the UK, though I'm glad some are reappearing in Europe.
Yeah, while EMU's are popular in Europe, trains like the Railjet, ICE-L, TGV-M, Talgo AVRIL as well as other examples like this train (which will eventually get 200km/h new Traxx locomotives, saving some more minutes) and several other new trains (I belive PKP from Poland will also order many locomotive hauled trains) will guarantee that these trains will not disappear for at least 30/40 years and likely not after either.
Thank you for sharing your trip from the Netherlands to Brussels Belgium. This is unexpected. I appreciate you sharing your public transit. Interesting.
Some things to add. A bicycle carriage is in production. Nmbs/sncb has ordered new traxx 3 models (type 17 as they will be called to replace the current traxx models used. The setup will also be used with a single locomotive instead of the current 2.
Anyone know why the Eurocity is still limited to 160 kmph on the HSL Zuid? Unlike the earlier ICRm coaches, i11 coaches are 200 kmph capable, and do run that speed on the HSL 2. Is it due to the Traxx locomotives?
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The locomotives are the limiting factor. There are new ones on order, which can do 200km/h.
The only thing that botters me is that NMBS/SNCB isn't using a bar carriage on their long travel routes. I'm from Belgium myself so I know our rolling stock very well 😊
... and it also called at Brussels Airport. I used it many times to travel from Brussels North to the airport or back. Of course, it wasn't intentional, but I apparently seem to be on the station right when that precise train was stopping there.
@@transportromania yes, it’s the same route, only the new eurocity ends at rotterdam instead of amsterdam. But the eurocity direct is not that expensive and takes you in around the same time as the eurostar so there is no need for this train to go al the way to amsterdam
I remember the old station. THAT was nice. But back then, I could buy a non-pre-ordered ticket at the station (unthinkable now) to Paris; that same morning, getting smoking/non-smoking options (yes it's been a while), and pay 140 guilders for a return-ticket. That's like 65 euros.
@@rustinpieces The old TEE/ Etoile du Nord. I read somewhere it did Amsterdam Paris Gare du Nord in 4hr 20 . Only an hour longer than Thalys does ! And that on convional rails via The Hague Mons and Saint Quentin ! ! For €65 on the day ! ( have to takevinflation into account but still way better value ! )
I love Rotterdam Central station, great facilities and you can enjoy the city if you have a late train by storing you luggage and getting a tram to the covered market that has a giant mural on the ceiling.
Did I get this right - the old Amsterdam - Brussels Train was "divided" into a "regular" IC (EC) Rotterdam - Brussels train and a new "EC Direct" Amsterdam - Brussels, but the latter does not stop at Anvers, Malines, Bruxelles Airport, Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles Centrale? The question is rhetorical, I kjust checked the NS website and, apparently, in Belgium it is only stopping at Anvers Centrale and Bruxelles Midi. So, instead of "upgrading" a service, they just screwed it royally, by destroying the dirrect connection between Schipol Airport and Zaventem Airport. I would guess KLM and Eurostar are now celebrating.
Few people would need to go from Schiphol to Brussels Airport and the people that need to do this can still do it, they just need to change trains at Antwerp. It will be faster than it was a year ago when you didn't need to change. They don't stop at Brussels Airport because that would add additional travel time (around 15 minutes) because it is quite a detour if you go from Mechelen to Brussels. And why would Eurostar and KLM celebrate now? I don't get that.
День назад
@JanClaeysKLM and Eurostar offer train connections between airports I think.
@JanClaeys I also never understand why people think that travellers want to go between airports.🙈 Planes do that, but only because they cannot land in a city. Like you say, no one wants to go from Schiphol to Zaventem. They want to go from Paris or Brussel to Schiphol, yes, or from Amsterdam or Brussel to Charles de Gaulle, or to a lesser extent from Amsterdam and Paris to Zaventem. But not between those airports.😅
They offer connections between Schiphol to Brussel, to replace one KLM flight per day between Schiphol and Zaventem. Which is how it should be done. (Almost) no one wants to travel from Schiphol to Zaventem. The only people that do this are people flying, and they only do this because planes logically cannot land in Brussel itself.
Last week I was in Utrecht and took a daytrip to Antwerp. I bought a ticket at the machine. I didn't realize at the time, but it wasn't for connections with EuroCity Direct, but only for connections with EuroCity. But, I cannot figure out how I was to have bought a ticket for this train! The machines at Utrecht gave no options - I went back and checked. Does this have to be reserved in advance?
Nice video as always, but a 2.08 h ride on a 146 km route shouldn't be branded as Eurocity (it's more like "espresso regionale" in Italy, for example). Moreover, a 10 minute stop for reversing is a huge loss of time (are they transferring the same loco to the other end of the train?).
between Rotterdam and Antwerpen it is an intercity (doing 101 km in an hour. ) however after Antwerpen central it becomes slow mostly due to the detour via Zaventem airport
about the coaches at 2:29 they still use the older coaches, for the eurocity and the eurocity direct services. also with the eurocity services, you can take those trains with a belgian ticket (to noorderkempen) I took that train (with the old coaches). but with the eurocity direct services, people can't take that train to antwerp, but if they did a lot of people would be happy
Essentially it boils down to the fact that they have to sell tickets for the same price as the nmbs but without the subsidy the nmbs get.* And the ns did not want to do that. Same reason why there is no stop at brussels central, ns wants to but infrabel did not give them space/permission. *he belgian government refused to include the route in the consesion, meaning ns had to run it on their own financial risk. And also prohibiting the ns from selling tickets for antwerpen brussels for another price than the nmbs did and forcing them to accept their tickets
@JanClaeys Yeah ECD isn't a true high speed train, Eurostar is to expensive to be fully commercially competitive plus, requires a reservation, which is always an extra hurdle. And the least we say about FYRA, the better. I guess it will never happen...
@ While the ECD takes 20 minutes more to reach Amsterdam compared to Eurostar, it is still faster than any alternative and relatively cheap, plus it is an improvement of 40 minutes so I don't get why you aren't happy? Sure it's not perfect but it is by far the best thing we have now and all things considered it is quite good.
There are a lot of factual errors in this video. The Intercity service always stopped at Antwerp-Berchem, and the capacity has actually gone down slightly compared to the old services.
Magnifique vidéo et voyage très agréable au Benelux sur la HSL-Zuild. En 2024, Loué par la SNCB/NMBS (Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen) à Alpha Trains, il comprend une partie des locomotives TRAXX MS2 E186 utilisées par NS Nederland Spoorwegen (Pays-Bas) lors du service ICRmH en 2010 et 2014. Comme les trains NS, elles sont utilisées en formations sandwich avec des voitures i11. Les locomotives TRAXX MS2e 186 219 et 286 220 SNCB/NMBS de la série 28 (2869 et 2870), ainsi que les locomotives Alpha Trains, sont utilisées avec les combinaisons de voitures i11 des chemins de fer belges. À la différence des locomotives de la série 28 utilisées avec la composition ICRMH-B vert et blanc, les locomotives TRAXX sont grises et jaunes, aux couleurs de la SNCB.
Probably not. You're talking a circa five-hour one-way service from Rotterdam all the way to Paris. At that distance, the faster Eurostar service is much preferred. I do think they may be looking at using something like the SNCF _Duplex_ bilevel TGV cars for the Paris to Amsterdam service once the full speed operation all the Amsterdam is restored, especially with the new high-speed terminus in Amsterdam.
The Eurocity and the Eurocity direct should be seen as two different services. Tickets for one of them cannot be used for the other under normal circumstances. The EC is more or less a shortened continuation of the previous service with different rolling stock and significantly lower prices. The ECD is significantly more expensive than both the EC and it predecessor and has a weird pricing system without validity for regular domestic Belgian tickets and limited validity for domestic Dutch tickets.
Deze heeft het niet. Vanuit financieel oogpunt op zo'n korte route ook wel te begrijpen. Eens dat eten vaak goed is. Bij DB zijn de prijzen flink gestegen. Bij PKP, CD of Máv krijg je het beste eten voor een hele goede prijs
It's nearly impossible to read the closed captions. Can anything be done about the light white and gray text background? It's not just this channel, either. :(
11:30 this isn't true, I take this train as my weekly commute and it always stops at Noordenkempen, it was well-served with the previous line as much as it is now (Also, info at 12:21 is wrong)
Basically, the new EuroCity is everything the old Intercity Direct was (stops and travel time) except the carriages. The new stuff is the faster Intercity Direct (new)
13:45 Noooooo, Thibault, everyone knows there's only one right angle when you approach Brussels North by train... 🤣😂 But you'd probably be demonetized if you uploaded it so fair play, lol.
I saw EuroCity had an reliability rate of 36% in rush hour according to the NS (National Railway) website. At least the EuroCity from Rotterdam to Breda has. I took a different train last week. The reliability is way down compared to NS Intercity trains, which is above 90%.
How on Earth is this allowed to be called EuroCity if there's no onboard catering? One of the EuroCity criteria of 1987 is a restaurant car or at the very least a trolley service for snacks and drinks. What's the use of an Europe-wide train brand if the criteria are ignored?
They have been doing for a while now. But right now, the new 200km/h Traxx locs are not there yet. Until then, these old ones are used. The faster ones will do a lot less damage due to higher speeds.
2:44 the reason the new logo (branding) is different for the EuroCity and EuroCity Direct is because there's no EuroCity Direct, The fast one is called Intercity Direct. Edit: nvm I was wrong, my bad
No (: As the person above me said (I think, I don’t understand German that well) it is rolling stock from SNCB/NMBS, typically used for intercity trains. Beforehand it was rolling stock from NS
@JanClaeys Dat was inderdaad precies wat ik zei, haha. Naar mijn weten zijn die rijtuigen geschikt voor 200km/u? Maar pas als de nieuwe locs komen de komende jaren.
@@Marchanthofde rijtuigen zijn inderdaad geschikt om 200 km/h te rijden, dit kan pas echter als de nieuwe HLE17 (traxx 3) geleverd is. Deze nieuwe locomotief zal dan de trein slepen aan 200km/u
The Breda stop should be removed Thibault. The faffing around with the engine re-positioning slows down the journey time. Travellers from Breda could take a train to Noorderkempen to join this train. Alternatively, this train could be re-routed via Roosendaal where the Breda passengers could join it.
There is no other train to Noorderkempen, so passengers from Breda (but also Tilburg, Eindhoven, Den Bosch and many other cities would see a big downgrade if this train would skip Breda. Going via Roosendaal would be even slower, since that is a classic railway line. People from Rotterdam or other cities from that direction that want to travel faster to Antwerpen/Brussel can take the EuroCity Direct or Eurostar. So yes, this train is not the fastest, true, but that is also not the point of it. This train connects many smaller cities and is ideal for who wants to travel to these smaller cities or whoever is in a budget. There is also no repositioning of the engine. There is an engine on both sides of the train, so the train only has to be put in reverse mode. I believe this always took 8 mins (with some of that time being backup time) but might take 10 now.
Nice video, but please be careful not to make mistakes which are easily preventable. The old IC Directs also called at Noorderkempen and Brussels Airport... I'm not fully sure about Antwerpen-Berchem as well, although I would not be surprised if they stopped there as well. In fact, the schedules of the previous IC Direct and the Eurocity are also (almost) completely identical. These small mistakes make the video feel a bit... cheapish and less well researched, which really is a shame considering all the time and effort that you've probably put into making this video! Edit: also, of course the EC (the slow train) does not stop at "all stations". That is a bit nitpicky, because of course such a train isn't going to stop at Rotterdam Zuid or Breda Prinsenbeek or a random Belgium station somewhere between Antwerp and Brussels and anyone with some common sense understands what you mean. But still, it would have been better to say that the EC stops at all Intercity stations (although even that may not have been completely correct, as for example Rotterdam Blaak is also a stop for most IC trains, but that really is being overly nitpicky) and the EC Direct doesn't. The real innovation, and the real big improvement, has been the introduction of the EC Direct. It's been quite insane that, apart from Eurostar (and formerly Thalys) there hasn't been a good, affordable connection between Rotterdam and Brussels while the HSL has been in use for at least 15 years now. Finally, although way too late in my view, something has been done to remedy this situation. I also travelled from Brussels to Rotterdam on Saturday last week with the EC. These coaches are indeed very nice and comfortable, but the lack of power sockets is indeed a bit annoying. Especially as these trains are replacing another type of train (the ICR coaches), which were also quite old, it is a bit of a shame that an outdated type of train has been replaced by an outdated type of train. Especially on an international service something basic as power outlets should not be optional in my view, especially not on a new service. Sooo... let's hope that these coaches will get a refurbishment in the coming years to make them better prepared for the job that they are tasked to do!
Finally someone who is informed about the situation with the EC and ECD. I feel that too many people here in Belgium were/are whining about it Groetjes (:
About the refurbishment: Wikipedia says they are installing power outlets for every seat so that's a start. But these coaches are from 1995 and onwards so I don't expect any great refurbishment beyond that.
@patrickreuvekamp I guess it's more about personal preference, I'm a very tall person and I'm pretty picky about seats. The ICR seats (are they the same as the ICMm?) are actually super comfortable for me to sit in for longer periods of time, the i11s on the other hand.. And operationally it doesn't have any advantages either because they still can't use the cab car and they're still using the TRAXX locs that are damaging the HSL
Of course you can't have a video about rail service in the Netherlands and Belgium without seeing its trains vandalized by criminal graffitti "artists", as seen when boarding this train and the first train that was passed by when entering Belgium. Simply disgraceful, period.
What is the deal with all the dirty trains in the Netherlands. If you are never going to wash the trains they should change the colors to beige si they can hide the dirt. Not that trains in the USA are good l😅 I love your videos!
Double deck Dutch train is dirty as hell. The double decker is so dirty it reminds me of Amtrak trains that never go through washers that are always broken and out of service. I would feel right at home on this double decker. Either trains are dirty in the USA or covered in sight blocking wraps like Brightline. Give me a break.😡 Maybe I'm blind but I never see planes caked in grime and most intercity busses I see are fairly clean. What is it about trains?😭🥹😟
NS is quite known for this. The winter season does not help, honestly, as in summer this is much less of a problem in my experience. That said, I agree NS needs to do more about it. From the outside it doesn't look nice, but especially the view from the train makes a trip seriously less enjoyable..
I like the vid but this time I don't like the train much. Looks obsolete and there's no service at all, not even a wending or coffee machine... Pure Basic - definitely should not be branded as EuroCity. And what about accessibility? (Wheelchairs, bikes...)
Why would you need service on a train ride of just 2 hours lol? Just get something in Brussels or Rotterdam. There was never service on the old “Amsterdammer/ Benelux expres” also and that’s perfectly fine
The train appears to be "purely Belgian", of course except the locomotives. That means at least one accessible space waggon and at least one bike rack in the train. I used this type of car in Belgium... I'm not a huge fan of its seats, as even if they're big and spaceous, the body position on them is not quite the best.
@ But why can't it be branded as EuroCity, it connects cities in Europe so it is a logical name. I would like to hear your suggestion for how it needed to be branded... And I didn't put words in your mouth I don't get what you're saying? I simply said that service/ a vending or coffee machine would be absolutely stupid so it is normal that a regional train between Rotterdam and Brussels doesn't have that. Edit: and if you don't think there needed to be such service why are you stating it in your original post?
I think you mean power outlets? And I have good news on that front: NMBS/SNCF is currently in the process of refurbishing these trains and they're adding a power outlet for every seat (: NMBS trains don't have WIFI because a) most train journeys in Belgium are quite short so people can go for 20 minutes or so without WIFI and b) WIFI is quite costly and NMBS/SNCF unfortunately doesn't have a lot of money so they have to spend on necessities like personal and trains so they don't have any money to spare to install WIFI at the moment
Just visited Amsterdam last week. I was blown away the efficiency of the trains there. its to bad we dont have that in the USA
We complain a lot here about the trains. Sometimes we forget how good we have it in the Netherlands🙏
You ought to experience the trains in Switzerland.
@@alexmcwhirter6611 Clock and watchmakers! And trains like clockworks.
Too bad so sad
same in France @@CaptainKeffer
These trains have been almost 30 years driving in Belgium, i liked them since i came to live in Brussels and so far i find them beautiful, the time has not changed their beauty, now i am going to watch the supposed beautiful trip.
Mi változott? Eddig nem voltak összekötve közvetlen vonattal ezek a városok?
Good accomodations. Love first class 2/1 configuration. Worth 32Euros.
Thanks Thibault for sharing.
Been waiting for this one!! Thank you for reviewing it :)
I'm now learning a lot about trains because of you! Thanks for the amazing content.
I love these older style loco-hauled trains (or push-pull). It makes me want to start using trains again. Heck even the seats align with the windows! Lovely train and thanks for showing it. Sadly loco-hauled has virtually disappeared in the UK, though I'm glad some are reappearing in Europe.
Yeah, while EMU's are popular in Europe, trains like the Railjet, ICE-L, TGV-M, Talgo AVRIL as well as other examples like this train (which will eventually get 200km/h new Traxx locomotives, saving some more minutes) and several other new trains (I belive PKP from Poland will also order many locomotive hauled trains) will guarantee that these trains will not disappear for at least 30/40 years and likely not after either.
@@Marchanthof That's more than I realized. Thanks, that's fascinating.
Thank you for sharing your trip from the Netherlands to Brussels Belgium. This is unexpected. I appreciate you sharing your public transit. Interesting.
Some things to add.
A bicycle carriage is in production.
Nmbs/sncb has ordered new traxx 3 models (type 17 as they will be called to replace the current traxx models used. The setup will also be used with a single locomotive instead of the current 2.
I11 are amazing coaches !
Eurocity isn’t new Eurocity express is new. Eurocity is just the old service rebranded it’s the old slow service
Nice video! good work.
Anyone know why the Eurocity is still limited to 160 kmph on the HSL Zuid? Unlike the earlier ICRm coaches, i11 coaches are 200 kmph capable, and do run that speed on the HSL 2. Is it due to the Traxx locomotives?
The locomotives are the limiting factor.
There are new ones on order, which can do 200km/h.
Belgian class 18 can't be used?
The only thing that botters me is that NMBS/SNCB isn't using a bar carriage on their long travel routes. I'm from Belgium myself so I know our rolling stock very well 😊
12:20 the previous intercity direct between Brussels and amsterdam also called at antwerpen berchem. I took this train many times
... and it also called at Brussels Airport. I used it many times to travel from Brussels North to the airport or back. Of course, it wasn't intentional, but I apparently seem to be on the station right when that precise train was stopping there.
@@transportromania yes, it’s the same route, only the new eurocity ends at rotterdam instead of amsterdam. But the eurocity direct is not that expensive and takes you in around the same time as the eurostar so there is no need for this train to go al the way to amsterdam
I forgot how nice Rotterdam Central Station is. Absolutely gorgeous.
I remember the old station. THAT was nice. But back then, I could buy a non-pre-ordered ticket at the station (unthinkable now) to Paris; that same morning, getting smoking/non-smoking options (yes it's been a while), and pay 140 guilders for a return-ticket. That's like 65 euros.
@@rustinpieces The old TEE/ Etoile du Nord. I read somewhere it did Amsterdam Paris Gare du Nord in 4hr 20 . Only an hour longer than Thalys does ! And that on convional rails via The Hague Mons and Saint Quentin ! !
For €65 on the day ! ( have to takevinflation into account but still way better value ! )
I love Rotterdam Central station, great facilities and you can enjoy the city if you have a late train by storing you luggage and getting a tram to the covered market that has a giant mural on the ceiling.
Yes, the Markthal is great! Favourite thing about Rotterdam imo
@@duploman0003 And then the Kubuswoningen right next to it, with the Oude Haven in turn behind them. Fantastic part of Rotterdam, that.
@@MarcelVolker Yes, kubuswoningen are also really cool. And I like the contrast with the Laurenskerk a bit further down the street.
@@duploman0003 De pot van Boijmans !
What app are you using at 12:45? Thanks!
Apple Maps
@@wangkevinde I would have never expected that, always used Google Maps but this looks clean. Thanks!
@@botjewalt1654 For android you can use railmap, which uses OSM data
Did I get this right - the old Amsterdam - Brussels Train was "divided" into a "regular" IC (EC) Rotterdam - Brussels train and a new "EC Direct" Amsterdam - Brussels, but the latter does not stop at Anvers, Malines, Bruxelles Airport, Bruxelles-Nord and Bruxelles Centrale? The question is rhetorical, I kjust checked the NS website and, apparently, in Belgium it is only stopping at Anvers Centrale and Bruxelles Midi. So, instead of "upgrading" a service, they just screwed it royally, by destroying the dirrect connection between Schipol Airport and Zaventem Airport. I would guess KLM and Eurostar are now celebrating.
Few people would need to go from Schiphol to Brussels Airport and the people that need to do this can still do it, they just need to change trains at Antwerp. It will be faster than it was a year ago when you didn't need to change. They don't stop at Brussels Airport because that would add additional travel time (around 15 minutes) because it is quite a detour if you go from Mechelen to Brussels.
And why would Eurostar and KLM celebrate now? I don't get that.
@JanClaeysKLM and Eurostar offer train connections between airports I think.
I don't know about KLM but Eurostar doesn't run trains to Brussels Airport so that's why I don't understand how they would benefit from this 👍
@JanClaeys I also never understand why people think that travellers want to go between airports.🙈 Planes do that, but only because they cannot land in a city. Like you say, no one wants to go from Schiphol to Zaventem. They want to go from Paris or Brussel to Schiphol, yes, or from Amsterdam or Brussel to Charles de Gaulle, or to a lesser extent from Amsterdam and Paris to Zaventem. But not between those airports.😅
They offer connections between Schiphol to Brussel, to replace one KLM flight per day between Schiphol and Zaventem. Which is how it should be done. (Almost) no one wants to travel from Schiphol to Zaventem. The only people that do this are people flying, and they only do this because planes logically cannot land in Brussel itself.
Wow you had one that was (reasonably) on time, or better yet one that even ran. It's really a dramatic start to that new service. 🙈
Last week I was in Utrecht and took a daytrip to Antwerp. I bought a ticket at the machine. I didn't realize at the time, but it wasn't for connections with EuroCity Direct, but only for connections with EuroCity.
But, I cannot figure out how I was to have bought a ticket for this train! The machines at Utrecht gave no options - I went back and checked. Does this have to be reserved in advance?
Great trip. Hope the Cab Car can be operating soon, so the train only need one locomotive rather than two.
Nice video as always, but a 2.08 h ride on a 146 km route shouldn't be branded as Eurocity (it's more like "espresso regionale" in Italy, for example). Moreover, a 10 minute stop for reversing is a huge loss of time (are they transferring the same loco to the other end of the train?).
between Rotterdam and Antwerpen it is an intercity (doing 101 km in an hour. ) however after Antwerpen central it becomes slow mostly due to the detour via Zaventem airport
Great video.
7:26 still saw nothing
about the coaches at 2:29 they still use the older coaches, for the eurocity and the eurocity direct services. also with the eurocity services, you can take those trains with a belgian ticket (to noorderkempen) I took that train (with the old coaches). but with the eurocity direct services, people can't take that train to antwerp, but if they did a lot of people would be happy
Essentially it boils down to the fact that they have to sell tickets for the same price as the nmbs but without the subsidy the nmbs get.* And the ns did not want to do that. Same reason why there is no stop at brussels central, ns wants to but infrabel did not give them space/permission.
*he belgian government refused to include the route in the consesion, meaning ns had to run it on their own financial risk. And also prohibiting the ns from selling tickets for antwerpen brussels for another price than the nmbs did and forcing them to accept their tickets
@melaniedrogr951 for the EuroCity direct?
Eurocity had only i11 coaches. eurocity Direct had ICR coaches or ICNG
@@machinistje it also has the older ones but I think they want to change all of them but just not enough coaches for all of the trains
What's the "elephant" about (on the front of the loco at 7:55)?
Many of the SNCB/NMBS Traxx locomotives have been given a nickname. It brings uniqueness to them
If only we had a working, frequent and affordable high speed train on that line...
Do you mean ECD and Eurostar? Because they, especially Eurostar, are quite expensive and not that good in terms of reliability.
@JanClaeys Yeah ECD isn't a true high speed train, Eurostar is to expensive to be fully commercially competitive plus, requires a reservation, which is always an extra hurdle. And the least we say about FYRA, the better. I guess it will never happen...
@ While the ECD takes 20 minutes more to reach Amsterdam compared to Eurostar, it is still faster than any alternative and relatively cheap, plus it is an improvement of 40 minutes so I don't get why you aren't happy?
Sure it's not perfect but it is by far the best thing we have now and all things considered it is quite good.
@JanClaeysbetter frequency maybe?
There are a lot of factual errors in this video. The Intercity service always stopped at Antwerp-Berchem, and the capacity has actually gone down slightly compared to the old services.
The international cross border capacity has gone up a lot, that is what he is referring to. I agree some sentences could have been written better.
Magnifique vidéo et voyage très agréable au Benelux sur la HSL-Zuild.
En 2024, Loué par la SNCB/NMBS (Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen) à Alpha Trains, il comprend une partie des locomotives TRAXX MS2 E186 utilisées par NS Nederland Spoorwegen (Pays-Bas) lors du service ICRmH en 2010 et 2014.
Comme les trains NS, elles sont utilisées en formations sandwich avec des voitures i11.
Les locomotives TRAXX MS2e 186 219 et 286 220 SNCB/NMBS de la série 28 (2869 et 2870), ainsi que les locomotives Alpha Trains, sont utilisées avec les combinaisons de voitures i11 des chemins de fer belges.
À la différence des locomotives de la série 28 utilisées avec la composition ICRMH-B vert et blanc, les locomotives TRAXX sont grises et jaunes, aux couleurs de la SNCB.
Do you think it would be possible to merge this Eurocity Direct and the Ouigo Classique from BXL to Paris?
Probably not. You're talking a circa five-hour one-way service from Rotterdam all the way to Paris. At that distance, the faster Eurostar service is much preferred. I do think they may be looking at using something like the SNCF _Duplex_ bilevel TGV cars for the Paris to Amsterdam service once the full speed operation all the Amsterdam is restored, especially with the new high-speed terminus in Amsterdam.
Just take the Eurostar.
No restaurant coach 😢😢
Is also not needed on a journey that takes 2 hours, just eat something at your destination.
I have to say SNCB carriages are much more comfortable than NS. Dunno why NS have such spartan rolling stock
It depends
The ICM (Koploper) are very comfortable in fact. Otherwise yes, they do tend to favour capacity over comfort.
you were here in rotterdam and i didnt even know?! awh man!
I got a Dutch train on that exact IC
The Eurocity and the Eurocity direct should be seen as two different services. Tickets for one of them cannot be used for the other under normal circumstances. The EC is more or less a shortened continuation of the previous service with different rolling stock and significantly lower prices. The ECD is significantly more expensive than both the EC and it predecessor and has a weird pricing system without validity for regular domestic Belgian tickets and limited validity for domestic Dutch tickets.
Heeft de Eurocity ook een bord restaurant?
Niet alle Eurocity treinen hebben dat.
Maar die het wel hebben, hebben dure maar goede maaltijden.
Deze heeft het niet. Vanuit financieel oogpunt op zo'n korte route ook wel te begrijpen. Eens dat eten vaak goed is. Bij DB zijn de prijzen flink gestegen. Bij PKP, CD of Máv krijg je het beste eten voor een hele goede prijs
It's nearly impossible to read the closed captions. Can anything be done about the light white and gray text background? It's not just this channel, either. :(
I think you might need better glasses 🤓
You can go into the RUclips settings and change the text/background opacity
Is MIDI and ZUID the same thing?
Yes
@@cactuspower6298yes it is Midi = >French, Zuid => Dutch.
11:30 this isn't true, I take this train as my weekly commute and it always stops at Noordenkempen, it was well-served with the previous line as much as it is now
(Also, info at 12:21 is wrong)
Basically, the new EuroCity is everything the old Intercity Direct was (stops and travel time) except the carriages. The new stuff is the faster Intercity Direct (new)
@theotimepinchart7724eurocity Direct is the new one. The Eurocity is the same as the old Intercity direct, but does”t stop at Schiphol or Amsterdam.
does anyone ever use the footrest?
13:45 Noooooo, Thibault, everyone knows there's only one right angle when you approach Brussels North by train... 🤣😂
But you'd probably be demonetized if you uploaded it so fair play, lol.
I saw EuroCity had an reliability rate of 36% in rush hour according to the NS (National Railway) website. At least the EuroCity from Rotterdam to Breda has. I took a different train last week. The reliability is way down compared to NS Intercity trains, which is above 90%.
How on Earth is this allowed to be called EuroCity if there's no onboard catering? One of the EuroCity criteria of 1987 is a restaurant car or at the very least a trolley service for snacks and drinks. What's the use of an Europe-wide train brand if the criteria are ignored?
I'm very surprised they allowed this, thought the Traxx locomotives were absolutely destroying the rails of the HSL zuid.
They have been doing for a while now. But right now, the new 200km/h Traxx locs are not there yet. Until then, these old ones are used. The faster ones will do a lot less damage due to higher speeds.
2:44 the reason the new logo (branding) is different for the EuroCity and EuroCity Direct is because there's no EuroCity Direct, The fast one is called Intercity Direct.
Edit: nvm I was wrong, my bad
The train between Brussels And Lelystad = Eurocity Direct or ECD the train Between Brussels and Rotterdam is Eurocity or EC.
Like Machinistje days, the EuroCity Direct is a thing. Intercity Direct is only used for domestic trains within the Netherlands.
@@machinistje you're right, my bad
Sind das neue Eurocity Wagen ?
Nein, aber bis voriges Jahr es gab alte Wagen von NS (ICR). Dieses der NMBS sind nicht neu, aber auch nicht so alt wie die NS Wagen.
No (:
As the person above me said (I think, I don’t understand German that well) it is rolling stock from SNCB/NMBS, typically used for intercity trains.
Beforehand it was rolling stock from NS
@JanClaeys Dat was inderdaad precies wat ik zei, haha. Naar mijn weten zijn die rijtuigen geschikt voor 200km/u? Maar pas als de nieuwe locs komen de komende jaren.
@ Denk het, ben zelf ook niet zeker eigenlijk
@@Marchanthofde rijtuigen zijn inderdaad geschikt om 200 km/h te rijden, dit kan pas echter als de nieuwe HLE17 (traxx 3) geleverd is. Deze nieuwe locomotief zal dan de trein slepen aan 200km/u
The Breda stop should be removed Thibault. The faffing around with the engine re-positioning slows down the journey time. Travellers from Breda could take a train to Noorderkempen to join this train. Alternatively, this train could be re-routed via Roosendaal where the Breda passengers could join it.
There is no other train to Noorderkempen, so passengers from Breda (but also Tilburg, Eindhoven, Den Bosch and many other cities would see a big downgrade if this train would skip Breda. Going via Roosendaal would be even slower, since that is a classic railway line. People from Rotterdam or other cities from that direction that want to travel faster to Antwerpen/Brussel can take the EuroCity Direct or Eurostar. So yes, this train is not the fastest, true, but that is also not the point of it. This train connects many smaller cities and is ideal for who wants to travel to these smaller cities or whoever is in a budget.
There is also no repositioning of the engine. There is an engine on both sides of the train, so the train only has to be put in reverse mode. I believe this always took 8 mins (with some of that time being backup time) but might take 10 now.
Slow is the new fast
This is supposed to be the slow option compared to Eurostar and EuroCity Direct.
It is exactly as fast as the old one lol. And now you even have a faster alternative (ECD) so I don’t get what you’re saying here
Nice video, but please be careful not to make mistakes which are easily preventable. The old IC Directs also called at Noorderkempen and Brussels Airport... I'm not fully sure about Antwerpen-Berchem as well, although I would not be surprised if they stopped there as well. In fact, the schedules of the previous IC Direct and the Eurocity are also (almost) completely identical. These small mistakes make the video feel a bit... cheapish and less well researched, which really is a shame considering all the time and effort that you've probably put into making this video!
Edit: also, of course the EC (the slow train) does not stop at "all stations". That is a bit nitpicky, because of course such a train isn't going to stop at Rotterdam Zuid or Breda Prinsenbeek or a random Belgium station somewhere between Antwerp and Brussels and anyone with some common sense understands what you mean. But still, it would have been better to say that the EC stops at all Intercity stations (although even that may not have been completely correct, as for example Rotterdam Blaak is also a stop for most IC trains, but that really is being overly nitpicky) and the EC Direct doesn't.
The real innovation, and the real big improvement, has been the introduction of the EC Direct. It's been quite insane that, apart from Eurostar (and formerly Thalys) there hasn't been a good, affordable connection between Rotterdam and Brussels while the HSL has been in use for at least 15 years now. Finally, although way too late in my view, something has been done to remedy this situation.
I also travelled from Brussels to Rotterdam on Saturday last week with the EC. These coaches are indeed very nice and comfortable, but the lack of power sockets is indeed a bit annoying. Especially as these trains are replacing another type of train (the ICR coaches), which were also quite old, it is a bit of a shame that an outdated type of train has been replaced by an outdated type of train. Especially on an international service something basic as power outlets should not be optional in my view, especially not on a new service. Sooo... let's hope that these coaches will get a refurbishment in the coming years to make them better prepared for the job that they are tasked to do!
Finally someone who is informed about the situation with the EC and ECD. I feel that too many people here in Belgium were/are whining about it
Groetjes (:
About the refurbishment: Wikipedia says they are installing power outlets for every seat so that's a start. But these coaches are from 1995 and onwards so I don't expect any great refurbishment beyond that.
These coaches will receive power outlets, also new Information displays. But upgrades are installed slowly.
こんにちは! 今ユーロシティーサービスを観てんるんですけど, オランダ等は途中に空港などがあって日本みたいに行き止まりとはまた違うのですね. 僕の今住んでる大阪は関空特急のラピートがDX車(3列)を連結してるのですが, 関空から難波まで人が多く入っていて時間に正確な分信用されているな～と思いました. 又伊丹空港にも阪急バスの便が出てるのですが自家用車から荷物を下ろす人が居ててバスに信用がされてるねんな～と思いました.
I'm actually really said that ICRs have been replaced, this is a definitive downgrade in travel comfort :(
These (i11) are newer and better: better ride quality, proper sound dampening in the interior, higher top speed, etc.
@patrickreuvekamp I guess it's more about personal preference, I'm a very tall person and I'm pretty picky about seats. The ICR seats (are they the same as the ICMm?) are actually super comfortable for me to sit in for longer periods of time, the i11s on the other hand..
And operationally it doesn't have any advantages either because they still can't use the cab car and they're still using the TRAXX locs that are damaging the HSL
come mai un tasso di occupazione così basso ??
Of course you can't have a video about rail service in the Netherlands and Belgium without seeing its trains vandalized by criminal graffitti "artists", as seen when boarding this train and the first train that was passed by when entering Belgium.
Simply disgraceful, period.
I suppose there is no need of seat reservation in this train. Just buy the ticket and hop in?!
What is the deal with all the dirty trains in the Netherlands. If you are never going to wash the trains they should change the colors to beige si they can hide the dirt. Not that trains in the USA are good l😅 I love your videos!
hourly service!!!!!!!! :]
That accessible space doesn't look very accessible and welcoming.
Yeah, unfortunately that a common theme with the older trains here in Belgium. But the newer ones are better 😁
une traxx et une voiture pilote.
Double deck Dutch train is dirty as hell.
The double decker is so dirty it reminds me of Amtrak trains that never go through washers that are always broken and out of service. I would feel right at home on this double decker. Either trains are dirty in the USA or covered in sight blocking wraps like Brightline. Give me a break.😡 Maybe I'm blind but I never see planes caked in grime and most intercity busses I see are fairly clean. What is it about trains?😭🥹😟
NS is quite known for this. The winter season does not help, honestly, as in summer this is much less of a problem in my experience. That said, I agree NS needs to do more about it. From the outside it doesn't look nice, but especially the view from the train makes a trip seriously less enjoyable..
8 minutes of delay when arriving in Antwerp. Of course, Belgium wouldn't be Belgium if not..
I like the vid but this time I don't like the train much. Looks obsolete and there's no service at all, not even a wending or coffee machine... Pure Basic - definitely should not be branded as EuroCity. And what about accessibility? (Wheelchairs, bikes...)
Why would you need service on a train ride of just 2 hours lol? Just get something in Brussels or Rotterdam.
There was never service on the old “Amsterdammer/ Benelux expres” also and that’s perfectly fine
The train appears to be "purely Belgian", of course except the locomotives. That means at least one accessible space waggon and at least one bike rack in the train. I used this type of car in Belgium... I'm not a huge fan of its seats, as even if they're big and spaceous, the body position on them is not quite the best.
@JanClaeys Pls, don't put your words in my mouth. I have not said there needed to be such a service. I said it shouldn't be branded as EuroCity.
@ OK. Didn't know that. So, at this point it's fine. Thx for the info.
@ But why can't it be branded as EuroCity, it connects cities in Europe so it is a logical name. I would like to hear your suggestion for how it needed to be branded...
And I didn't put words in your mouth I don't get what you're saying?
I simply said that service/ a vending or coffee machine would be absolutely stupid so it is normal that a regional train between Rotterdam and Brussels doesn't have that.
Edit: and if you don't think there needed to be such service why are you stating it in your original post?
Power points?
WIFI?
I think you mean power outlets? And I have good news on that front: NMBS/SNCF is currently in the process of refurbishing these trains and they're adding a power outlet for every seat (:
NMBS trains don't have WIFI because a) most train journeys in Belgium are quite short so people can go for 20 minutes or so without WIFI and b) WIFI is quite costly and NMBS/SNCF unfortunately doesn't have a lot of money so they have to spend on necessities like personal and trains so they don't have any money to spare to install WIFI at the moment
Quelle est la vitesse de ces trains ?
160 km/h actuellement. 200 km/h dès que les nouvelles locomotives commandées seront livrées.
Shout out to "Playboy 69" at the 3:00 mark.
Usually this Swiss bahn