Iris (train)

The Iris was an express train that linked Brussels Midi/Zuid in Brussels, Belgium, with Chur station in Chur, Switzerland.

Iris

TEE Iris departing from Zürich HB, 1979
Overview
Service type	Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1974–1981) InterCity (IC) (1981–1987) EuroCity (EC) (since 1987)
Status	Withdrawn
Locale	Belgium Luxembourg France Switzerland
First service	28 May 1974 (1974-05-28)
Last service	2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
Current operator(s)	NMBS/SNCB CFL SNCF SBB-CFF-FFS
Route
Termini	Brussels Midi/Zuid Chur / Basel SBB
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	EC 96/97
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz (Switzerland)
Route map

Introduced in 1974,^[1] the train was operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB), the Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). It was named after a flower, the Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus), which was widespread in the Zenne/Senne valley, where Brussels is located.

Initially, the Iris was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE). In 1981, it became a two-class InterCity (IC), and on 31 May 1987, it was included in the then-new EuroCity (EC) network.^[2] As of 2015^[update], the Iris was one of two EuroCity train-pairs running daily between Brussels and Switzerland; the other was the Vauban.^[3]

History

The eastbound service was cut back to Brussels–Basel in December 2011; in December 2013 the latter was also cut back to start in Basel.

The service was discontinued on April 3 2016, alongside the introduction of a high-speed TGV service to Strasbourg.^[4]

See also

• History of rail transport in Belgium
• History of rail transport in Luxembourg
• History of rail transport in France
• History of rail transport in Switzerland
• List of EuroCity services
• List of named passenger trains of Europe