European high-speed rail operators Eurostar and Thalys will go ahead with a planned merger in 2021, the CEO of Thalys has confirmed to French newspaper La Tribune.
The merger was proposed by French state railway operator
SNCF last year as a way to provide passengers with a more connected and
environmentally friendly journey across the two companies’ networks, which are
spread between the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. At the
time, the project was named ‘Green Speed’.
Thalys boss Bertrand Gosselin has now confirmed in an
interview with La Tribune that the project will go ahead next year despite the
difficulties faced by both operators in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Eurostar is suffering from the UK’s travel quarantine
policies, which are currently in effect for all of its destinations from London
St Pancras, and it recently announced it will not serve Ashford or Ebbsfleet in
the UK or destinations in the south of France until 2022 at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Thalys has been faced with restrictions in Paris.
However, Gosselin said an exemption for business travel has encouraged the
company to consider special fares for B2B customers to stimulate demand, with
details to be announced in due course.