Lille-Ghent in August

[newmilton]

I will be travelling from Lille to Ghent on Thursday 9 August. When I did some preliminary research using random dates, there was an hourly direct SNCB service from Lille Flandres via Courtrai/Kortrijk at €17 plus a few centimes. Now I am within the booking threshold that service has disappeared (this is confirmed by the DB travel planner), and I am offered the choice of a similarly-priced fare with two changes and taking over two hours, or TGV from Lille Europe and a change in Brussels.

Time-wise this is not a lot longer than the direct train; cost-wise it is, of course, rather more (€29 with 60+ discount). It isn't a huge difference, but I am curious whether anyone knows why the direct service has disappeared. Belgian engineering works? Fewer trains in Summer? Social movements (as the French so delightfully say)? Timetables for that route not yet finalised? Is it worth waiting to see if it reappears, if only because it is the more flexible fare?

Just wondering.

 

[radamfi]

That line seems to have a lot of engineering work. Sometimes buses replace trains in the middle of the day.

A fun and cheap alternative is to get the Lille metro to the second to last station towards CH Dron (Bourgogne) and then walk across the border to Mouscron station. That's about 30 minutes walk. Then you will be on domestic (therefore cheap) Belgian tickets. There is also an hourly bus from CH Dron to Mouscron station (Monday to Friday daytime only). There is a more frequent bus (service P) available if you walk to the border (about 10 minutes).

 

[CMS]

It isn't a huge difference, but I am curious whether anyone knows why the direct service has disappeared.

The service has not disappeared, it still runs, even during SNCF strike dates. Some trains are double numbered which can make some journeys appear as two trains with a connection even though they aren't (although often trains run Antwerp>Poperinge, with a cross-platform change at Courtrai for Lille). Timetables are here: https://cdn.ter.sncf.com/medias/PDF...au_10_aout_2018_tcm77-193939_tcm77-193938.pdf (SNCF)/ https://www.belgiantrain.be/fr/travel-info/prepare-for-your-journey/ic-leaflets/ (SNCB).

I'm not too sure why direct trains aren't shown on journey planners for your particular date, but there are no trains between Lille Flandres and Mouscron the following week, so I imagine the works may have been brought forward, in which that case I would travel via Brussels or use one of the fast 'Transpole Liane L90' buses to Comines Mairie (departing from République metro stop and not Lille Flandres), cross the border and pick up the Poperinge portion of the train from Comines SNCB station.

 

[MarcVD]

There is also an hourly train from Lille to Tournai. From there it is easy to join Brussels and Ghent. Will be slower than via Mouscron and Kortrijk but much cheaper than with Thalys.

 

[newmilton]

Thanks for the suggestions. On closer examination, Lille-Mouscron is clearly the problem. In the event I have booked from Lille Europe via Brussels, which works quite well as I am seeing my wife off to Provence half-an-hour before my TGV to Brussels.

Entirely by chance I did discover I could save €4 by buying my ticket directly from SNCB ... it seems to be a special CIV fare from Brussels to Ghent only valid with a connecting international ticket, which I presume only they sell.

 

[Groningen]

There is also a train with an extra change at Froyennes.

 

[dutchflyer]

There is also an about hourly INTern. bus with special TransPole fares from Roubaix/tram to Moeskroen/city and NMBS. Nr. with RM in it and some other letter-can be found via transpole.fr
Or-for dedicated use it all: train or bus to Comines/Komen (walk over the 3/400 mtrs from FR to BE side), then domestic in BE with all the ample age-based discounts.

 

[iknowyeah]

Ive done the reverse, however starting at Waregem, changing onto a bus at Moeskroen and changing onto the Lille Metro at Tourcoing