Thalys will change its name in October

Talis, it’s over… or almost. The name of this rail company, which has been linking Paris, the Benelux and the northwest of Germany since 1995, will disappear this autumn in favor of Eurostar, a brand considered better known.

“We need a unique, strong brand for our customers that is a symbol of the European network we want to create,” Gwendolyn Cazenave, general manager of the Eurostar Group, which brings together the two companies, explained on Tuesday. May 2022 Since 1994, Eurostar has operated TGVs between London and the European continent via the Channel Tunnel.

Specifically, the Thalys brand is set to disappear in October when the new group launches a unique website, app, booking system and loyalty program. But the ex-Talis will remain red. “We are not going to repaint all the trains! ‘, Gwendolyn Cazenave justified herself. By 2024, the service offered on board and passenger classes will be unified.

New logo

The new logo should be overlaid before the end of this year: a somewhat crazy six-pointed star in an open circle, forming an “e”. The design, according to its promoters, is reminiscent of the mythical Étoile du Nord train that linked Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 1924 to 1996, the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, and the first Eurostar logo.

Former SNCF boss Guillaume Pepy’s latest initiative before his departure at the end of 2019, the merger between Eurostar and Thalys, was completed on 1 May 2022. The goal of SNCF, the majority shareholder of the two companies, was to improve the use of 51 trains: 25 for Eurostar and 26 for Thalys. By 2025, the current Eurostars will be able to travel across the entire network, for example between Paris and Brussels. But Talis is not going to cross the English Channel.

The goal is for both companies to reach 30 million passengers by 2030. This is “more than doable”, according to Gwendolyn Cazenave, who may have to buy new trains before that date. In the near future, it’s about finding the 19 million passengers of 2019, before Brexit and the health crisis.