Eurostar hopeful about keeping Amsterdam-London high speed train running

Eurostar is optimistic that the fast train from Amsterdam to London can continue to run during the renovation of Amsterdam Central Station from June 2024, the carrier said after consultations with ProRail, NS, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management on Monday. Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave spoke of fruitful conversations, AD reports.

“We are convinced that together we will find a suitable solution to enable a direct connection between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and London,” Cazenave said after the meeting. According to her, all parties agreed to continue working closely together on this. “Eurostar is determined to continue to play a role in the Dutch sustainability policy by offering a green travel alternative.”

The continuance of the Amsterdam-London fast train is at risk due to renovations at Amsterdam Central Station. The Eurostar train may be out of action for 11 months from June 2024 because its existing terminal at platform 15 will be demolished before the replacement is ready.

ProRail was a lot less enthusiastic after Monday’s meeting. “As far as we are concerned, nothing fundamental has changed,” spokesperson Jeroen Wienen told AD. “Keeping the existing terminal open so that Eurostar can continue to operate is impossible. It is just not safe.” The rail manager agreed to examine the situation at Amsterdam Central Station with Eurostar. “We would like to show on-site why we think it is really not possible and are, of course, also open to their vision.”

According to Eurostar, the alternative of diverting to Rotterdam Central Station is impossible. The carrier called that option commercially unprofitable because too few passengers can board there.

If the parties involved manage to find a way to keep the Eurostar train in Amsterdam, they’ll have to do so in the coming months. Eurostar usually sells its tickets for the summer period nine months in advance. “We must, therefore, have clarity by the end of this year,” a Eurostar spokesperson told the newspaper.

The Amsterdam Regional Council for Transport was scheduled to meet this week to discuss a motion by the PvdA, GroenLinks, and D66 to ensure the Amsterdam-London train can continue running despite the renovations at Amsterdam Central Station. That meeting, which was to be chaired by traffic alderman Melanie van der Horst, was canceled for unknown reasons.