Thalys is an international rail operator linking key business cities in Northern Europe.

It is now about to receive a makeover which will involve refreshed interiors and a new external livery.

Details have been tweeted by Thalys’ communications chief Nicholas Petteau.

Thalys core routes in normal times are Paris to Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as Paris to Cologne (via Brussels).

Normally it would also operate another route linking Amsterdam Schiphol with Paris CDG.

As the main hub airports of Air France and KLM this route is a useful option when air traffic is disrupted for whatever reason.

Thalys recognises the current uncertainty affecting international travel.

Tickets purchased before August 30 can be changed until the day of departure.

Had business not been further disrupted by the pandemic one would have hoped that Thalys and Eurostar would now be poised to merge as we reported in September 2020.

Eurostar and Thalys to merge in 2021

However both operators have been badly affected by the pandemic which has led to schedule cuts.

It means any tie between these two operators is now on the back burner.

Eurostar is especially affected as it currently operates a mere two services daily from London St Pancras, one of which goes to Paris and the other to Amsterdam via Brussels.

The cash situation at Eurostar remains dire.

In an email to Business Traveller lobby group ALLRAIL revealed the CEO of SNCF (which owns 55 per cent of Eurostar) said Eurostar “needs state aid within the month …. The financial situation is going to be very difficult at the end of May.”

We shall update readers on developments in due course.

thalys.com, eurostar.com