Rubens (train)
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. History. Trans Europ Express. 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. 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. EuroCity. In 1987 the "Rubens" was, like the other Paris-Brussels TEE services, integrated into the new EuroCity network. On 23 May 1993 the EuroCity services between Paris and Brussels were classified as TEE again. After the opening of the LGV-Nord on 23 January 1995 the "Rubens" was withdrawn.