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After many years of talking passenger rail deregulation on International traffic is about to start. At the moment all international trains in Europe are operated via joint-ventures between incumbent operators. At the moment the following are the main international alliances and how they work: Eurostar (Paris-London; Brussels-London): Strong marketing alliance. All staff onboard and in stations wear Eurostar uniform. Staff are from SNCF, SNCB, Eurostar UK, Cremonini catering.
Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne): Very similar idea to Eurostar. All sfatt wear Thalys uniform and are from SNCF, SNCB, NS, DB and Cremonini for catering.
Lyria (Paris-Geneva; Paris-Zurich; Paris-Bern): Operated by SNCF in France up to the Swiss border and SBB CFF FFS staff. SNCF staff wear SNCF uniform with Lyria badge; SBB CFF FFS staff wear their uniform with Lyria badge. There is a debate about whether the staff should all go into Lyria and so become a company. Catering is operated by CIWL, but on the Paris-Geneva line transferred to Elvetino.
Artesia (TGV Paris-Milan; all night trains from Paris to Italy): Owned 50% by FS Trenitalia and 50% by SNCF it is similar to Lyria but the staff do not have Artesia badges. The logo is not painted anywhere on the trains. Trains are operated by FS Trenitalia in Italy up to the French border and SNCF staff in France. The night trains also change locomotive.
Cisalpino (All Italy-Switzerland trains): Owned 50% by FS Trenitalia. Similar to Lyria, almost all trains are painted in Cisalpino colors. The staff are from FS Trenitalia in Italy up to the Swiss border and SBB CFF FFS in Switzerland. All trains apart from Pendolini change locomotive. Staff sometimes wear Cisalpino badges with FS Trenitalia or SBB CFF FFS uniform.
Elipsos (Madrid-Paris, Barcelona Paris, Barcelona Zurich, Barcelona Milan): 50% owned by SNCF and 50% owned by RENFE. Staffed by Compagnie des Wagons Lits. Throughout the journey there is a train manager from RENFE, and in Italian territory 2 FS Trenitalia train managers. Elipsos trains are pulled by the different national train companies locomotives and staff(SNCF locomotive in France, SBB CFF FFS locomotive in Switzerland, FS Trenitalia locomotive in Italy, RENFE locomotive in Switzerland).
Alleo (TGV and ICE France-Germany): Marketing of high speed services between France and Germany. Trains operated all the way through by either mixed crews (SNCF and DB) or single crews (SNCF or DB).
There are other international trains but at the moment are not commercialised as joint-ventures.
The future of these companies is not very clear, and the first one that will disappear will be Artesia. Last year SNCF bought 20% of new Italian high speed operator NTV (to start operations in 2011-2012). FS Trenitalia has therefore submitted application for operating on the French network. It has applied to operate Milan-Paris international trains. It is not clear whether the Artesia brand will be bought out by SNCF or FS Trenitalia or be closed down.
Further competition should shortly be arriving with Air France partnening with Veolia, Virgin interested in European market and maybe DB going internationally.
The main problem for the ex-monopolist companies going abroad is the joint-ventures that they have made in the past.
irishchieftain Member # 1473
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There is no "deregulation". This is a charade meant to hide the expansion of Deutsche Bahn over the continent.
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