Gare du Nord - Paris (France)

Gare du Nord | Izy 18/04/2016 12h57

The new sub brand of Thalys is called IZY and offers a low-cost train service from Paris to Brussels (vv) with rebranded TGV trains. The introduction of this train was on 03/04/2016.

 

IZY

Izy is a low-cost high speed train service between Brussels and Paris. It is a brand of Thalys, which is jointly owned between the French and Belgian national rail companies SNCF (60%) and SNCB/NMBS (40%). It was announced on the 1st March 2016, and the first services started on 3rd April 2016.

Based on the popular Ouigo train service by SNCF, plus also the growing popularity of international coach services like Eurolines and Megabus & car pooling services like BlaBlaCar. Thalys considered starting their own low-cost service to compete with. Using a two TGV high speed trains sets leased from SNCF, they provide a up to three services per day.

 

The idea of service is based on low-cost airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet, they do this by the following;

[*] Tickets can only be bought on-line through a dedicated website izy.com or mobile app, not from ticket machines, ticket counters or through the regular Thalys website. They have to be bought a least 4 hours in advance of your journey. Four days before passengers travel, they receive a e-mail of the ticket which they print out at home or they use the mobile app to get a e-ticket, which consists of a QR code.

[*] Similar to some low cost airlines, whilst a two pieces of hand luggage (maximum size, cabin baggage at 35 cm×55 cm×25 cm, and hand luggage at 27 cm×36 cm×15 cm ) is allowed free of charge, larger bags must be paid for.

[*] The journey takes between 2 hours 8 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, while the regular Thalys service takes 1 hour 22 minutes. This is due to the fact that IZY trains use Paris–Lille railway between Paris and Arras, instead of the high-speed LGV Nord line. This allows IZY to pay lower track fees to SNCF Réseau.

[*] The trains carry fewer members of staff, which like the low-cost carriers are tasked as well to do basic maintenance of the train as well as serving passengers.

[*] Unlike Thalys services there is no wifi and individual power sockets are only available on Standard XL seats.

[*] Like some carriers, the only way you can contact the company is via their website. There is no customer service phone number or e-mail address, if you need to contact them, you use a webform.

 

In order to offer significantly lower prices than on standard Thalys trains, IZY trains lack a buffet car and have a greater number of more tightly packed seats. Standard adult fares called Standard which start from €19 single depending on the time of the journey and how far it is booked in advance. A premium service called Standard XL starts at €29 and offers a slightly bigger seat and a individual power socket. There are also two more lower costs options, a collapsible seat in the vestibule for as little as €15 and non-guaranteed seat option for as little as €10. Thalys promises to charge no more than €59 for a ticket for Standard and €69 for Standard XL.

 

IZY uses two dedicated TGV Réseau triple-voltage trainsets, number 4521 and 4551, painted in a white and green IZY livery.

Unlike Ouigo, which uses secondary stations like Marne-la-Vallée for Paris and Tourcoing for Lille instead of Paris-Gare de Lyon and Lille-Europe. IZY uses the main train stations of Brussels-South and Paris-Gare du Nord like Thalys.

 

[ Source & more Info: Wikipedia - IZY (April 2016) ]

Done