| Rubens | |
| Type: | Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1974–1987) EuroCity (EC) (1987–1993) Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1993–1995) |
| Status: | Replaced by TGV |
| Locale: | France Belgium |
| Formeroperator: | NMBS / SNCF |
| Start: | Gare du Nord |
| Stops: | none |
| End: | Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid |
| Distance: | 310 km |
| Frequency: | Daily |
| El: | 25 kV AC (France) 3000 V DC (Belgium) |
The Rubens was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid in Brussels, Belgium. The train was named after Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens.[1]
The Rubens was introduced together with the TEE Memling in the TEE-network to cope with the raising number of passengers between Paris and Brussels.[2] Both services were the first in the morning, the Rubens departed from Brussels at 6:42 in the morning, while the Memling departed from the Gare du Nord in Paris at 6:45. The return services were scheduled as the fifth of the six daily TEEs in both directions, departing around 6:45 p.m.[3]
In 1987 the Rubens was, like the other Paris-Brussels TEE services, integrated into the new EuroCity network.[4] On 23 May 1993 the EuroCity services between Paris and Brussels were classified as TEE again.[5] After the opening of the LGV-Nord on 23 January 1995 the Rubens was withdrawn.[6]