Arriva wants to run trains between Groningen and Paris

Rail operator Arriva wants to run a daily train between Groningen and Paris. The route between the two cities would take just over five hours. Arriva has submitted an application to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to allow these trains to run from June 2026.

Arriva will announce plans on Thursday, “Well before the start date." The company is the biggest competitor to the Dutch national railway, NS.

The train between Groningen and Paris should leave Groningen early in the morning at 5:30 a.m., and arrive at Gare du Nord in Paris around 10:40 a.m. The intention is that a train will run from Paris back to Groningen at 7:15 p.m., which will arrive at approximately 12:30 a.m.

The company said that it wants to file more requests in the future for train traffic from several regions in the Netherlands to Belgian and French cities, and elsewhere.

Arriva said its decision has to do with "the intention of the Dutch government to make international rail part of the Dutch main rail network for the coming years, if other companies do not come up with plans before June 10.” The government intends to award the concession for the country’s main rail network to the NS, which would allow that firm to continue to provide the most important train connections after 2025.

The next step is for the ACM to assess Arriva's application and determine whether this new train connection comes into conflict with existing passenger trains operated by the NS. The process is explained in detail on the ACM’s website.

"Since January 2019, railway undertakings have been entitled to open access to the track. This means that, in addition to parties with a concession, other railway undertakings may also offer passenger transport. But the new passenger service must not have too much of a negative impact on the existing transport concession. On request, ACM can assess whether the economic balance of the existing concession is jeopardized."