A new low-cost railway line connecting Brussels and Paris in three hours will be launched on 19 December, according to a statement from the SNCB. Ticket sales opened on Thursday.
Two and a half years after the termination of the Izy service, which was started by the late Thalys in 2016 and connected Brussels to Paris in 2 hours and 30 minutes, the new cheaper line will soon be inaugurated.
The route will also serve Mons, Aulnoye-Aymeries (Nord), and Creil (Oise) in France. Total travel time between Brussels-Midi and Paris' Gare du Nord will be three hours, with three round trips daily in each direction.
The Ouigo line will enhance the existing high-speed train services, which connect the two capitals in just over 1 hour 20 minutes.
Tickets, available from this Thursday, range from €10 to €59 for a one-way trip, with a fixed price of €8 for children under 12.
For the first weekend of operation, fares range from €25 to €39, according to the Belgian railway company’s website.
This summer, the SNCB also introduced daily Eurocity trains between Brussels and Paris with a stop in Mons, coinciding with the Olympic Games.
