Molière (train)

Molière
Overview
Service type Trans Europ Express (TEE)
(1973–1979)
InterCity(IC)
(1980–1983)
D train
(1983–1986)
EuroCity(EC)
(1987–1997)
Locale Germany
Belgium
France
Predecessor TEE Paris - Ruhr
First service 3 June 1973
Last service 14 December 1997
Current operator(s) SNCF
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 25 kV 50 Hz (France)
3000 V DC (Belgium)
15 kV 16,7 Hz (Germany)
Route map
TEE Molière (red) and the later Thalys (blue)

The Molière was an international train operated by SNCF, initially linking Paris and Düsseldorf. The train was named after Jean Baptiste Poquelin using his stage name.[1]

Trans Europ Express

The Molière was the successor of Paris to Düsseldorf section of the TEE Paris–Ruhr, on the same route and schedule. The name Paris–Ruhr was not accurate any more because the deletion of the Düsseldorf to Dortmund section in 1971 meant that the train no longer served the Ruhr.[2]

TEE 40 country station km TEE 41
06:55  Germany Düsseldorf 0 23:11
07:21  Germany Cologne 40 22:44
08:04  Germany Aachen 110 21:57
 Belgium Verviers 140
08:50  Belgium Liège 165 21:10
09:32  Belgium Namur 225 20:34
 Belgium Charleroi Sud 262
10:29  France Maubeuge 304 19:36
**:**  France St Quentin 379
12:10  France Paris Nord 533 17:55

On 1 June 1975 the route was shortened further, to Cologne, resulting in a length just under the economic optimal distance of 500 km.[3] From 28 May 1978 the Molière called in St. Quentin in both directions. On 1 October 1978 the weekend services were scrapped and on 26 May 1979 the Molière made its last journey as TEE.

D train

On 27 May 1979 the Molière was continued as two-class D-train on the same schedule as the TEE.[4] De train consisted of SNCF Corail coaches. In 1980 the train was upgraded to InterCity with trainnumbers IC 430,431. In May 1983 the route was extended to Copenhagen conveying sleeping and couchette coaches. This nighttrain became the numbers D 430,431 calling at: København H – Naestved – Nykøbing – Rødby Færge – Puttgarden – Lübeck – Hamburg – Bremen – Osnabrück – Münster – Hamm – Dortmund – Bochum – Essen – Duisburg – Düsseldorf – Köln – Aachen – Verviers – Liège-G. – Namur – Charleroi-Sud – Maubeuge – St. Quentin – Paris-Nord. In May 1986 the route was shortened to Cologne - Paris again, so only a day service remained.

EuroCity

At 31 May 1987 the Molière was upgraded to EuroCity. De service started with train numbers EC 40, 41, the northern terminus was Dortmund instead of Düsseldorf. According to the EuroCity scheduling the train was part of a trio. Together with EC Gustave Eiffel and EC Parsifal it provided three EC services daily in both directions between Paris and the Ruhr.

EC 40 country station km EC 41
06:50  Germany Dortmund Hbf 23:44
 Germany Bochum Hbf
 Germany Essen Hbf
 Germany Duisburg Hbf
 Germany Düsseldorf
 Germany Cologne
 Germany Aachen
 Belgium Verviers
 Belgium Liège
 Belgium Namur
 Belgium Charleroi Sud
 France Maubeuge
 France St Quentin
13:40  France Paris Nord 16:47

On 23 May 1993 the train was renumbered to EC 30,31. On 14 December 1997 the Molière was replaced by the Paris - Cologne Thalys service.[5]

References

  1. ↑ La Légende des TEE p. 338.
  2. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland p. 78.
  3. ↑ Das grosse TEE Buch p. 73
  4. ↑ Das grosse TEE Buch p. 73
  5. ↑ La Légende des TEE p. 340.

Works cited

  • Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.
  • Goette, Peter (2008). TEE-Züge in Deutschland (in German). Freiburg: EK-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8.

External links

Media related to Molière at Wikimedia Commons