I caught the NEW Eurostar to Germany! (Sort of…)

I caught the NEW Eurostar to Germany! (Sort of…)

Today, I’m catching the new Eurostar service.  That’s right, Eurostar FINALLY goes to Germany!   I’ll be riding this high-speed train from  Brussels in Belgium, and speeding through   the countryside to our destination. So come  on-board as we discover the new Eurostar,  

From the on-board seating and features, to the  tasty meal service and café car. And I’ll even   tell you the big problem with this service, as we  run at up to 300km/h (186mph) across the border. Hello and welcome back to another video.  Today, I’m here at Brussels-South in Belgium,  

And I’m going to be travelling with  Eurostar. Now, the Eurostar brand is   one that is known for linking London with  Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. However,   due to a recent merger with Thalys, they now also  serve Germany too. I’ll be travelling on-board one  

Of these trains here, the Eurostar PBKA from  Brussels over to Köln in Germany. Let’s go! Good morning from Brussels-South station.  The two names displayed on the building are   the station’s name in French and Flemish Dutch,  the two most common spoken languages in Belgium.

But now let’s head inside this big busy  station for a look around before we depart. This part of the station feels fairly modern,   having opened in 1992 to facilitate the arrival  of TGV, Eurostar, and Thalys high-speed trains. And indeed, just within the  entrance of the building,  

You can find the Eurostar terminal for  trains to the UK. Though our Eurostar   train departs from a different area –  and more on that confusion later on. Next to the channel terminal is the international  ticket office, where you can buy tickets for  

Cross-border trains. Though I’d recommend buying  online, directly from the Eurostar website or app. The area by this entrance features a lot  of shops and food outlets to use before   starting your journey. Many of these seemed  abandoned, and some of them even vandalised. Unfortunately, the area around  this station suffers from a lot  

Of anti-social behaviour and  crime, so take extra care! There’s also a large car hire office,  with various companies to choose from. And just outside here across the road,   you’ll find the Eurostar Lounge, for  those travelling in Premium Class. Back inside the station, there  are some secure luggage lockers,  

Handy if you have a long connection  and want to explore the city. There are also these active phone chargers,  letting you exercise while you charge your device. The central passage has a bunch  more catering outlets and shops,   including this classic Belgian chocolate  shop, a pharmacy, and uhh… ‘Pasta Way’,  

Hmm, this name doesn’t work too well in English! Anyway, departures are displayed using  this classic LCD segment display. My   train is Eurostar 9423, departing  at 11:25 to Essen Hauptbahnhof. Brussels-South station sees a lot of  traffic as the main station in this   European capital, with over 50,000  people using the station each day.

The majority of trains are commuter trains  operated by SNCB, Belgium’s national operator. SNCB also run long-distance  InterCity trains across Belgium,   with occasional services  into neighbouring Luxembourg. Some services are run to Rotterdam  and Amsterdam in the Netherlands,   together with NS, the Dutch national operator.

And there’s a bi-hourly service  to Frankfurt am Main in Germany,   provided by German ICE high-speed trains. But my train today is operated by Eurostar,   a multi-national operator that  exclusively runs high-speed trains. This company started off in 1994, running  from London to Paris and Brussels,  

Finally connecting the UK to the  greater European rail network. However in 2023, Eurostar merged  with a company called Thalys,   promising greater connectivity  and smoother ticket booking. They even launched a new brand identity,   meaning all services operated by the new  company would be branded as Eurostar.

This has lead to two completely different  services operating under the same name,   but the confusion doesn’t end  there, as we’ll soon get to. My train soon arrived at the platform, and  wow I just love how the former Thalys livery   looked. The red and silver definitely  makes it stand out as a premium train.

This fleet is a type of French TGV,   with this one being designated as a PBKA set.  Eurostar has a fleet of 26 trains like this,   with some of them being of the similar  PBA model, both dating from the mid-1990s.

I’m travelling in Eurostar’s standard class today,  so let’s head over to coach 25 and find my seat. Boarding these TGV-style trains is usually  chaos, as they have very few doors. And today is no exception, with a long queue  forming at the door to board the train.

Eventually I made it on-board.  Standard Class is in a 2+2 layout,   with the same rich red colour  scheme as on the outside. My seat is number 88, a forward  facing seat without a window. Today’s route is a simple high-speed ride  from Brussels, through the city of Liège,  

And into Germany for the final stretch  to Köln. Journey time is scheduled to   be one hour and 50 minutes, covering  222 kilometres, or about 138 miles. We depart on-time at 11:25, slowly weaving our way   through the complex junctions of  Belgium’s busiest railway line.

Along the way, we pass some of  the other stations in the city,   such as Brussels-North, served by  most trains running through the city. It’s not long before we’re out of the congested  central area, and beginning to build speed.

But before we reach our top-speed of 300km/h  (186mph), let’s have a look around the interior. The seating itself looks fantastic, thanks  to its vivid and plush looking design. And sure enough, there is loads of padding here,  which made for an extremely comfortable seat. The ergonomic support was also good.

And up top, there’s a massive winged  headrest, and a thick padded headcloth All seats have folding armrests,  and these were also nicely padded. As for legroom, it’s pretty tight –  there’s not enough room to stretch   out. It’s okay for trips of this length, but  on longer routes, this would be annoying.

Beside the seat is a small control panel. On this, you could find the recline button. This was a bit difficult to showcase  though, as I had someone sat next to me. There was also a button for  the individual reading light. The seat in front featured a folding table.

This was surprisingly large, and  would be ideal for doing some work on. On it, there’s a little metal  bar to hold a drink in place. And also a strap, which I’m told is for  holding newspapers or magazines in place. Down here, you can find a  storage area for smaller items.

As well as a folding footrest. Back outside, we’re currently  heading towards the high-speed line,   and passing through many stations  along the way, such as Erps-Kwerps. Leuven is another stop we pass through, and has a  beautiful modern station. It’s the eighth biggest  

City in Belgium, as well as being home to  the largest brewing company in the world. From here, we take a series of flying junctions,   weaving between domestic InterCity services,  to reach the HSL2 high-speed railway. This allows us to accelerate up to our  incredible top-speed of 300km/h (186mph).

Travelling at this speed is an absolute breeze,   and the great suspension of the Eurostar PBKA  fleet means you barely notice any movement. Unfortunately, the terrible window alignment  meant that I couldn’t actually see any of this,   and I spent most of my journey staring at a wall.

I really wish there was a seat selector,   like there is on some other  Eurostar services…confusingly! This was really annoying, especially as there  are so many of these seats with a terrible view. As I couldn’t see much of the Belgian countryside,  I chose to use the on-board WiFi instead.

This was easy to connect to,  requiring just a couple of taps. However, the WiFi speeds were absolutely  pathetic, and barely even worth using. On a more positive note, every seat  gets a European style power socket,   even in Standard Class. Also down here, there’s a little  bin to help keep the train tidy.

After 45 minutes, we’re on the approach to  Liège. This is Belgium’s fifth largest city,   and serves as a key junction  on the country’s rail network. The city is home to Liège-Guillemins station,   an impressive structure designed by the  Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The design features a monumental arch shape,  

With colourful patterns and plenty of natural  light. It’s really quite the sight to behold. After a four minute stop, we’re back on  the move, and heading towards Germany. On our way our of Liège, the train crosses  the River Meuse, one of Europe’s major rivers.

Time to get some food. The Eurostar  Café is situated in coach 24,   though it’s more like a bar than a café, with  a spacious and airy design and places to stand. The menu is expansive…but also fairly expensive. Though there are some special offers,  

Allowing you to bundle multiple  items together for a better price. While waiting for my food order to be prepared,   I spent a few moments taking in the pleasant  atmosphere here in the Eurostar Café car. It was definitely a popular place,   with many passengers standing  and chatting over a drink or two.

After around five minutes, my order  was ready. I went for the cheese pizza,   a pack of salted crisps, and apple juice. This cost €11.70, fairly costly but not too bad   for on a high-speed train. And  it was actually really nice too! Now moving on to First Class,  

In a spacious 2+1 seating layout –  these seats really look like armchairs! Eurostar has two ticket types for First Class,   with the more expensive one including  a complimentary meal service. We’ve now effortlessly crossed the  border from Belgium into Germany,   possible thanks to the two countries  being members of the Schengen Agreement.

There’s a bit of a stereotype in Germany  that says trains are always late,   and sure enough we’re held just after  the border while awaiting a platform. Ladies and gentlemen, the station  of Aachen is not yet ready for us,   we should be able to leave  in two or three minutes.

After this minor hold-up, we pull into Aachen Hbf,   with the abundance of trains in the iconic  DB livery an indicator we’re in Germany. Aachen Hbf is an international rail  hub, being sat at a tri-point border   with frequent local trains running  to both Belgium and the Netherlands.

After a few minutes, we’re once again  accelerating back up to high-speed. We even pass one of the German ICE high-speed  trains, and what looks like an abandoned station. Luggage space can be found in the form  of sizable overhead luggage racks.

There are a few luggage stacks in the  vestibules too, but as there are lots of   reports of luggage theft on the former Thalys  trains, I prefer to keep my luggage nearby. You’ll also find a stylish  coathook between windows,   and if you look closely, you’ll notice  this is still branded as Thalys.

If you actually get a window seat, then  you’ll find an effective adjustable blind. As well as an air vent along  the bottom of the window. By the way, these windows were absolutely  filthy. Unfortunately train cleanliness   is very lacking in Western Europe, and this  premium high-speed train was no exception.

Each carriage has one or two  toilets, found next to the gangways. These were in good condition,  though they were really cramped. The soap dispenser was working  fine…as was the water. A hand dryer was also provided and working well. Passing through the beautiful station  of Düren is a sign that our journey is  

Nearly over. So let’s talk about  the problem with this service. Well, despite being branded as Eurostar,  it doesn’t actually run to London. Instead, it’s a seperate Thalys  service, run under the Eurostar name. This merger has caused a lot of  confusion, with the two former  

Branches of the Eurostar company having  completely different travel classes,   and varying policies on luggage,  lounge access, and ticket flexibility. And speaking of tickets,  I booked my Standard Class   one-way ticket two months ahead, which cost £21. For this 2hr high-speed trip, I think  that’s pretty good value for money!

As we begin to pass through some of Köln’s  suburban stations, the train slows down. We also pass by the large  maintenance facility here,   where you can see various DB and  Flixtrain sets awaiting their next duties. And eventually, after a further delay within   Germany we pull into Köln Hbf  fifteen minutes late, at 13:30.

Overall, I had a comfortable  and quite pleasant journey with   Eurostar today – except the lack of a  window view. My biggest complaint has   to be the confusing merger, which appears to  cause more problems than it supposedly fixes.

But as always, let me know what you think of  the Eurostar PBKA trains in the comments, and to   compare this old TGV set to Germany’s incredible  new high-speed train, then click up here now.

The new Eurostar high-speed service to GERMANY is here… sort of! 🇩🇪

Join me as I ride this high-speed train from Brussels to Köln, and show you that maybe this new service isn’t quite what you’d expect from a Eurostar train…

—

Journey Details:
Origin: Brussels-Midi/Zuid
Destination: Köln Hbf
Company: Eurostar International
Train: SNCF TGV PBKA
Accommodation: Standard Class Seat (2nd)
Distance: 222 kilometres (138 miles)
Price: £21.00 (€24.20 / $25.50)
Time: 1 hour 50 minutes, arrived 15 minutes late

—

Find me elsewhere:
https://superalbs.weebly.com/
https://twitter.com/superalbs/
https://www.instagram.com/superalbstravels/
https://www.facebook.com/superalbstravels/