Thalys - High Speed for Benelux international Traffic 
Thalys International is a high speed passenger train service company owned by the SNCF of France (62%), SNCB of Belgium (28%) and Beutsche Bahn (10%). Thalys also owns the trains it operates. 

International destination network for Thalys includes Paris and several towns located at the French Alps near the Swiss border, Brussels Belgium at the center of the network, Köln in Germany and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Also included are several smaller destinations in the northern end of the network.

Thalys PBKA unit is  making a brief stop at it's southern terminal station at Gare du Nord in Paris. Look at the Phoenix bird under the drivers side window, the bird is a symbol of the company. Picture by John McKey.  Click any picture to see a larger version of it!
   
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Thalys History * Thalys Fleet * Technical Details for the Thalys Fleet * Thalys Future Visions * View to Competition * Thalys Pictures  


 Thalys History
Thalys' story is one of the ambition to create a network of high speed rail services between the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and northern France. It all started with the decision to push forward the high speed rail after the first TGV train had proved their might on the French territory. This decision to build the high speed rail links was reached in 1987. The Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam main high speed artery was opened in 1996. The Thalys international in the current form was formed of the initial start up companies in 1999. While the development was swift and network extending the 40th million passenger was transported already in 2004! Deutsche Bahn bought a part of Thalys International shares in 2007. 
     
   
 Thalys Fleet
Thalys International operates a fleet of TGV-Réseau units of Alstom called Thalys PBA as well as Thalys PBKA units, which is a hybrid of TGV-Duplex locomotive and TGV Réseau trailers. There are currently 9 PBA units (1 sold / leased to the SNCF) and 17 Thalys PBKA units. More information on these units along with all the other TGV types on the TGV Trains Theme Page.  
Thalys PBKA unit in the foreground and, at first look, very similar PBA unit coupled together at Paris Gare du Nord waiting for the departure. Below unit 4345 in Belgium in the newer paint scheme. Picture above by John McKey and below by Ilkka Siissalo.
 
 
   
More on the subject in the next update. 

 View to competition

Thalys operates in an environment, which has been also found attractive by several neighboring train operating companies: Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn with it's Velaros, even the SNCF. This means that in 10 years time it is likely taht there will be some real competition in the operating area. 

To cope with the challenges of the upcoming competition it is likely, that Thalys international will invest in the new rolling stock which might well be Velaros of Siemens AG, AGV of Alstom or Zefiro of Bombardier. The route map will likely be extended with St Pancras, London added as one of the new terminals for the services, probably along with one or more German cities.