Coming soon: Direct Eurostar service from Amsterdam to London
On Tuesday, Eurostar launched its first-ever direct rail service from the Netherlands to the U.K. on its route from Amsterdam to London. Tuesday's first journey was just a test run but is scheduled to launch for paying passengers on April 30.
Since 2018, Eurostar has operated in the opposite direction from London to Amsterdam. But, due to regulations and border restrictions, passengers taking the return route from Amsterdam to London had to disembark a Thalys-operated train in Brussels, clear customs and then get on to a Eurostar train to complete the journey to the U.K.
Related reading: Second cities: The best destinations to visit from Amsterdam
Once the route officially launches with passenger service in April, travelers can expect to complete the entire journey on a Eurostar train. Instead of a transfer, customs will be cleared at the train's first stop in Rotterdam before continuing the journey to London via Brussels.
The direct train means slashed journey times, too, taking around four hours and nine minutes at its quickest. Currently, it can take up to six and a half hours.
The independent reports that the schedule for the twice-daily trains will be as follows:
- Amsterdam Centraal 7:48 a.m. Departure ⇒ London St. Pancras 10:57 a.m. Arrival
- Amsterdam Centraal 6:48 p.m. Departure ⇒ London St. Pancras 9:57 p.m. Arrival
Both services will run daily Monday to Friday, with Saturdays seeing only the morning service and Sundays only the evening. Eurostar plans to eventually increase the service to three daily and eventually four daily.
Once tickets for the route go on sale on Feb. 11, tickets will start at £35 (about $45) each way.
Eurostar hopes that the introduction of this direct route back to the U.K. will create an environmentally friendly alternative, rather than passengers taking a flight between the two cities.
The news comes after an announcement in late 2019 that the train company is planning on connecting the U.K. with more direct links to European destinations like Germany.
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