Problems with Thalys painful during busy times: 5 questions | Inland

1 What happened last weekend?

A Thalys train that was en route from Brussels-South station to Paris-North, came to a halt in Tournai, Belgium, after a collision with an animal. For safety reasons, the train had to be brought to a complete stop and the electricity cut off. This meant, among other things, that the approximately 350 passengers no longer had air conditioning.

2 Why are many concerned about the bullet train?

Because it wasn’t the first time. July was a real disaster month. Precisely during the hottest day of the year, one of the high-speed trains recently ran aground. Because the air conditioning also failed, it warmed up to 40 degrees. Doors were not allowed to open, nor were windows, although they were forced to accept water. Less than a week later it happened again. Again travelers had to spend the night in a stationary train. This happened to dozens of people in April.

3 Isn’t this disastrous for support for the (fast) train?

That is indeed the worrisome thing about it. It is all the more painful that the Thalys breaks down time and again at a time when international travel is picking up quickly and airports are struggling with chaos due to major staff shortages. NS International and the Treinreiswinkel recently informed De Telegraaf that the sales figures were flying through the roof. Paris and Brussels are traditionally top destinations by train.

4 How do the staff view the situation?

Employees are also disappointed, but emphasize to this newspaper that they are powerless. “I work on the Thalys myself and these kinds of situations are extremely annoying for travelers, but also for us,” says one of them. “Unfortunately, France is not always cooperative, the authorities are not flexible when problems have to be solved. Doubly annoying, because it is extra busy in the summer.”

5 What do passengers mainly complain about?

The lack of information. Numerous victims reported to the media. “We did not receive any information, the apps from NS International and Thalys did not provide any information,” said one of them. “We’ve been trying to get in touch all night. Rebooking was not possible, there was no staff on site.”

Thalys had placed a link on its website with information about the incident. Whoever clicked on that got an error message. “We are doing everything we can to rectify the situation as soon as possible,” a spokeswoman nevertheless assured. Much of that happened later in the weekend.

Marcel Vink

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