NS, Eurostar to run 5 trains daily between Netherlands & London; More sustainable than flying, says NS

Dutch national railway NS said it plans to work with Eurostar to run five high-speed trains daily between Amsterdam and London, with a stop in Rotterdam. The increase would mean the train service could conceivably handle up to 4,500 passengers per day in either direction.

The two rail companies said that the expansion from three trains daily is a push to give passengers a more realistic option for reducing their carbon footprint when traveling between the Netherlands and London.

“A train traveler between Amsterdam and London [is responsible for] 80% fewer CO2 emissions than someone who flies,” said NS International director Heike Luiten. “More than 1.6 million travelers per year will soon have the choice between the train or the plane.”

Currently, about 23 percent of travelers to London choose rail service, which the NS would like to see increased in the same way it has seen market share increase on rail travel to Paris. International trains were very popular this past summer, though there was a slight decline in passengers using rail to get to London.

A fourth train offering a seating capacity of 900 passengers will enter the timetable in 2020. The fifth train is to be added to the route the following year.

Eliminating the passport control and customs check in Brussels meant that the service will take about four hours to get from Amsterdam to London. Those departing from Rotterdam cut the travel time by 45 minutes.

The improved Eurostar service from London first arrived in the Netherlands in February 2018.