Eurostar to run direct services to Amsterdam in 2016

[Football Special]

 

Eurostar today announces that it has signed an agreement with the Dutch railways to launch direct services between London and Amsterdam from December 2016.

 

The announcement was made this afternoon by the Secretary of State for infrastructure and the environment as part of a package of measures to enhance the services on the Dutch high speed line and will be ratified by the Dutch Parliament over the coming months.  The Eurostar service will feature its new e320 trains which will be interoperable and will be compatible with the Dutch high-speed signalling systems.

 

Since becoming a standalone corporate entity in September 2010, Eurostar has had clear ambitions to expand its business beyond its existing destinations and to encourage passengers to choose high speed rail over plane for short haul European travel.  In the last year, the business has introduced new services to the Swiss Alps and Provence in the South of France.  Today’s announcement represents a significant step forward in its expansion plans.

 

The London–Amsterdam route is the largest, international airline market in Europe attracting over 3 million business and leisure passengers.  With the arrival of a direct high-speed rail service between the UK and the Netherlands, passengers can look forward to an attractive, convenient alternative to the airlines.

 

Eurostar plans to run two services a day between London and Amsterdam with journey times of around four hours.  These services will run via Brussels to Amsterdam stopping at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal.  In addition to providing a direct high-speed link between the UK and the Netherlands, this service will also enhance the scope for customers to connect to a range of destinations in mainland Europe.

 

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said:

 

“We have long been ambitious for expansion to new destinations so today’s announcement marks a major advance in our growth plans.  With over 3 million passengers travelling by air between London and Amsterdam, this is one of Europe’s most popular routes.  Our fast, comfortable, point-to-point service will greatly enhance the links between the UK and the near continent, revolutionising travel between these important financial and tourist hubs.”

 

 

Only 20 years later than previously planned...

Edited September 30, 2013 by Football Special

[chrisf]

About time!  Now if Eurostar can reach agreement with the UK Borders Agency so that customs checks can be carried out on the train instead of detraining everyone at Lille on the way home, I will be surprised and the world will be a better place.

 

Chris

[Karhedron]

Just waiting for Italy to join the network so I can take a jaunt to the old family home. London to Rome would be great but I suspect Naples would be too much to hope for.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Eurostar have been carrying out test runs in the Netherlands and more recently in the last week or two, between Amsterdam Centraal and London St. Pancras International.

 

There's been some discussion about this and the 4th April start date, on another forum.

Today Eurostar have started their pre-launch PR with press releases.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43002908

 

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/netherlands

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/eurostar-to-launch-london-amsterdam-service-in-april.html

 

 

2x daily M-F 

1x daily on both Sat & Sun

A third daily M-F is rumoured to be starting late 2018 or early 2019.

 

London - Brussels - Rotterdam - Amsterdam.

 

No stops at Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Lille, Antwerp or Schiphol.

 

Tickets go on sale from 20th February.

 

Until the border control and security facilities have been completed at both Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal, inbound passengers to London will have to disembark at Brussels, to clear those checks.

Rumours are floating around that the inbound AMS- BRU leg will be via Thalys, so the Eurostar train will run all the way to AMS, but only start its return from BRU.

From approx. late 2019, this should no longer be necessary, as passport and security checks will be carried out prior to boarding at Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels and it will be Eurostar operated end to end.

 

Timetable here....

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/direct-eurostar-london-to-amsterdam.htm

 

 

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Edited February 9, 2018 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/infrastructure/single-view/view/rotterdam-centraal-station-to-be-modified-for-eurostar-services.html

[Vanders]

Eurostar have been carrying out test runs in the Netherlands and more recently in the last week or two, between Amsterdam Centraal and London St. Pancras International.

I bloody wondered if I'd imagined seeing that Eurostar running through Antwerp while I was waiting for my Thalys on Wednesday, too!

[eastwestdivide]

...Rumours are floating around that the inbound AMS- BRU leg will be via Thales, so the Eurostar train will run all the way to AMS, but only start its return from BRU....

.

I knew they'd ordered a lot of new trains, but isn't there going to be a surplus of empty trains in Amsterdam by about May?

 

More seriously, if the Amsterdam-Brussels leg of a London journey is by Thalys, would a Eurostar set in Amsterdam form a general purpose Brussels service to fill in a gap in the Thalys timetable? Or run empty back to Brussels to form the London service?

[Revolution Mike]

I was on my way back from Brussels last week and the Eurostar I was on was (according to the onboard rumour) one of the test trains. My colleague saw it on its way from Antwerp into Brussels.

When it came to Brussels it left from different platforms to normal (3?) and only half the train was available for Brussels customers with the other half presumably kept out of use or kept for Amsterdam customers - it was all a bit chaotic and the Brussels portion was absolutely rammed full - the inevitable consequence I suppose of trying to fit everyone from Brussels into half a set.

 

Cheers, Mike

[jjb1970]

Very disappointing it won't stop in Antwerp, however a most welcome (and long overdue!) development.

[Ron Ron Ron]

I knew they'd ordered a lot of new trains, but isn't there going to be a surplus of empty trains in Amsterdam by about May?

 

More seriously, if the Amsterdam-Brussels leg of a London journey is by Thalys, would a Eurostar set in Amsterdam form a general purpose Brussels service to fill in a gap in the Thalys timetable? Or run empty back to Brussels to form the London service?

 

It's only a rumour as far as I can tell, but Eurostar say they'll be operating 2x trains per day from AMS to BRU to supplement the Thayls timetable, which might mean that Eurostar passengers will use the Eurostar train from AMS to BRU, not the Thalys.

 

 

 

.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Ron Ron Ron

[Vanders]

I am a little surprised that despite having 5 years to sort it out and during which Amsterdam Centraal has been undergoing renovation, nothing has been done to allow for passport checks at Amsterdam. That does seem a bit odd, and makes the service about as useful as taking a Thalys to Brussels and changing onto a Eurostar, which of course you could always do anyway!

[Ron Ron Ron]

I bloody wondered if I'd imagined seeing that Eurostar running through Antwerp while I was waiting for my Thalys on Wednesday, too!

 

 

Might have been this one?

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L10043/2018/02/07/advanced

 

I guess they've been extending the Brussels runs to Amsterdam for driver training?

 

 

 

.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Ron Ron Ron

[eastwestdivide]

I am a little surprised that despite having 5 years to sort it out and during which Amsterdam Centraal has been undergoing renovation, nothing has been done to allow for passport checks at Amsterdam. That does seem a bit odd, and makes the service about as useful as taking a Thalys to Brussels and changing onto a Eurostar, which of course you could always do anyway!

They've been working on the platform facilities at Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but apparently the UK and Dutch govts have still to get things sorted out.

Mentioned in this article and elsewhere I think, but I can't find the links

Edited February 9, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[Ron Ron Ron]

I am a little surprised that despite having 5 years to sort it out and during which Amsterdam Centraal has been undergoing renovation, nothing has been done to allow for passport checks at Amsterdam. That does seem a bit odd, and makes the service about as useful as taking a Thalys to Brussels and changing onto a Eurostar, which of course you could always do anyway!

 

It's only a temporary arrangement and should be sorted out by the end of next year.

In the meantime, there's no issue in the other direction, LON - AMS, as checks will have been carried out at St. Pancras International prior to boarding.

The eastbound service is scheduled to stop at Brussels Midi for only 4 minutes.

 

 

 

.

[Dava]

Outward is fine, but negotiating the den of international thieves and pickpockets, nervy armed police and the wilfully tardy passport & security control at Brussells on the return is both unnecessarily stressful and enough of a deterrent to keep me flying until it's eliminated by passport checks at Amsterdam.

 

Dava

[chrisf]

I am a little surprised that despite having 5 years to sort it out and during which Amsterdam Centraal has been undergoing renovation, nothing has been done to allow for passport checks at Amsterdam. That does seem a bit odd, and makes the service about as useful as taking a Thalys to Brussels and changing onto a Eurostar, which of course you could always do anyway!

 

I'm not.  It is very brave of Eurostar to go ahead with the new service in the face of the "the answer's no, now what's the question" climate.

 

Chris

[Vanders]

Might have been this one?

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L10043/2018/02/07/advanced

 

I guess they've been extending the Brussels runs to Amsterdam for driver training?

No, it was midday-ish towards Amsterdam. I'm guessing this would have been the return path.

[phil-b259]

A welcome change of Heart from the UK Government / UK Border force who just a couple of years ago were very keen to emphasise they would NOT be setting up passport control centres anywhere else in Europe (other than Lille Paris and Brussels) due to the 'extra costs incurred' and 'administrative burden'.

 

I wonder what has changed their mind?

[roythebus]

A welcome change of Heart from the UK Government / UK Border force who just a couple of years ago were very keen to emphasise they would NOT be setting up passport control centres anywhere else in Europe (other than Lille Paris and Brussels) due to the 'extra costs incurred' and 'administrative burden'.

 

I wonder what has changed their mind?

 

Preparing for brexit maybe? But let's not get political in this forum!

 

While people including myself moan about the 1 hour delay at BRU or LIL on the UK-bound journeys, it can't be much worse than airport security checks. I positively hATE flying for that very reason and all the delays incumbent with air travel, plus living at AFK makes using air travel to Europe a no-brainer when there's a train only 10 minutes drive away, even if we do have to go via London! Etunnel is more convenient and overall cheaper for the places we go to.

[Ron Ron Ron]

.... it can't be much worse than airport security checks. I positively hATE flying for that very reason and all the delays incumbent with air travel...

 

 

It depends on where you fly to and from etc.

I can fly to Amsterdam from my local airport. There are several flights a day.

Nearly everybody checks-in online these days so there's no airport check-in.

If you have hold luggage, the bag drop closes 40 mins before departure time for international flights (30 mins for domestic).

Security takes 5 minutes (10 minutes at worst if there's a queue) to clear and the gates are then all of one minute away.

The security check is only a minor hassle, even I'm pulled up for a "pat down" and rescan.

As such you can walk into the terminal with 30 or 35 mins to go, if you have cabin baggage only and still be in good time.

It's obviously wise to allow another 10 or 15 minutes onto this though.

 

At a busy airport like Heathrow, the security check can involve a queue and a frustrating hold up.

We mostly use T5 and the security operation is very well sorted and efficient there and the whole process is relatively speedy.

 

In contrast, we recently boarded a Eurostar train at Ebbsfleet and the long single line queue for the solitary passport check point and one working baggage scanner was very frustrating, taking about 20 minutes to complete.

Much worst than at any airport we've experienced recently.

 

 

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.

[AMJ]

This should pave the way for the DB trains to Köln which have been promised for what seems like an eternity.

Köln will be more useful than Amsterdam for onward travel.

[eastwestdivide]

...

In contrast, we recently boarded a Eurostar train at Ebbsfleet and the long single line queue for the solitary passport check point and one working baggage scanner was very frustrating, taking about 20 minutes to complete.

Much worst than at any airport we've experienced recently.

Were you unlucky at Ebbsfleet or have I always been lucky? That's a big contrast to my own experiences there, usually for the Brussels trains at 07xx or 09xx ish weekdays, when I've never taken more than 10 mins from car drop-off to the waiting area beyond security, even when carrying a fold-up bike. 

[Fenman]

It depends on where you fly to and from etc.

I can fly to Amsterdam from my local airport. There are several flights a day.

Nearly everybody checks-in online these days so there's no airport check-in.

If you have hold luggage, the bag drop closes 40 mins before departure time for international flights (30 mins for domestic).

Security takes 5 minutes (10 minutes at worst if there's a queue) to clear and the gates are then all of one minute away.

The security check is only a minor hassle, even I'm pulled up for a "pat down" and rescan.

As such you can walk into the terminal with 30 or 35 mins to go, if you have cabin baggage only and still be in good time.

It's obviously wise to allow another 10 or 15 minutes onto this though.

 

...

.

 

My experience, too. Living in Norfolk, it is vastly easier and faster for me to fly from Norwich to Schipol (KLM, three times a day, flight time 35 minutes - shorter than the time I allow for navigating the (tiny) airport), than to take the vile outer suburban commuter service to London (1'40", but, in our exciting new go-ahead railway, this journey is actually going to take nearly a quarter of an hour longer in the proposed new timetable! ).

 

I know everyone loves St Pancras, but I think the international departures area is a crowded, inchoate mess, too small for the volume of people, queues that seem to take forever, and rat-runs to the passport control booths that seem wilfully designed to dehumanise. It's not great.

 

Paul

[Ron Ron Ron]

This should pave the way for the DB trains to Köln which have been promised for what seems like an eternity.

Köln will be more useful than Amsterdam for onward travel.

 

 

The DB ICE train PR visit to London was in 2010.

They talked about a service starting in late 2013 and later pushed this back to say 2014, then 2016.

In 2014 DB announced they were postponing the plan to operate to London, indefinitely.

 

Last March there were UK press reports that DB had revived their plan, with a provisional start date of 2020.

However, DB made a public statement to say the press reports were incorrect and that they had no plans to start the service.

As before, they've left the door open by saying it remains a medium to long term ambition.

 

London - Koln is already serviced with through tickets, with a connection in Brussels.

If connecting onto the fast ICE service, it's a pretty quick connection eastbound, with a longer connection eastbound, to allow for the border control and security checks at Brussels.

 

 

.

[Vanders]

Much worst than at any airport we've experienced recently.

I have to admit, the "Check in" process & waiting area at both St. Pancras & Brussels Midi are generally depressing experiences.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Vanders