WHY IT RATES: This new service provides another transportation option between two very important destinations.-Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.
Eurostar, the cross-channel high-speed rail service linking the UK with mainland Europe, announced its new direct route from London to Amsterdam will launch on April 4. Tickets will go on sale February 20 when the inaugural service will take place.
The launch of the London to Amsterdam service marks a historic milestone in the expansion of international high-speed rail travel, revolutionizing the connection between these important destinations. For the first time, passengers will be able to travel from St Pancras in the heart of London direct to the Netherlands at a speed of 300 kph in just three hours.
Growth potential of the market
With more than four million passengers traveling between London and Amsterdam by air every year, the market is the same size as the London to Paris market at the time of Eurostar's launch in 1994. Over the last 23 years, the market for travel between London and Paris has more than doubled as customers increasingly choose high-speed rail over planes. As the Netherlands grows in popularity as a key business and tourism hub, the potential for the new service and the overall market is significant.
"The launch of our service to the Netherlands represents an exciting advance in cross-Channel travel and heralds a new era in international high-speed rail," said Nicolas Petrovic, chief executive, Eurostar. "With direct services from the UK to The Netherlands, France, and Belgium, we are transforming the links between the UK and three of Europe's top trading nations.
"Our new route marks the culmination of the extensive investment in high-speed rail on both sides of the Channel. With £1 billion investment in our new state-of-the-art trains and enhanced connectivity on the European network, passengers can now enjoy fast, seamless rail connections between the UK and mainland Europe and a transformed travel experience."
Service to Launch on April 4
After extensive preparation, a comprehensive program of testing on the Dutch high-speed network and the building of Eurostar terminals in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Eurostar's new route to the Netherlands will start on April 4 with one-way fares from £35. The new service will be launched with two trains a day departing at 08.31 and 17.31 respectively.
During the initial period, passengers will travel directly from London to Amsterdam and Rotterdam and on the return journey will connect through Brussels1 where passport controls and security screening will be carried out.
This connecting return journey will be a temporary measure whilst the governments in the UK and The Netherlands complete an agreement which will enable passport checks to be conducted on departure in The Netherlands as in other key Eurostar destinations2. The governments have committed to putting this agreement in place by the end of 2019 so that Eurostar travelers can enjoy a direct service in both directions.
Record London to Brussels Journey Time
The launch of the new London-Amsterdam service not only creates a fast, point-to-point link with The Netherlands, but also heralds a record new journey time for those passengers traveling on the London-Brussels section of the route. These customers will see their journey time cut by 17 minutes as the time onboard is reduced from two hours and five minutes to one hour and 48 minutes.
SOURCE: Eurostar press release
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