Minister rejects extra border police, Eurostar trains face summer-long delays
Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber (PVV) has refused to provide additional military police staff to prevent the upcoming half-hour delay on all Eurostar trains from Amsterdam to London, according to AD. The delay is set to begin next week and is expected to significantly disrupt Dutch rail traffic, according to NS and ProRail.
The delay stems from a shortage of Koninklijke Marechaussee personnel assigned to conduct security checks on Eurostar passengers. Starting next week, Eurostar will increase its train capacity to 600 passengers, 200 more than currently allowed. However, there are not enough marechaussee officers to carry out the necessary checks in the existing time window. As a result, each outbound Eurostar trip will take 30 minutes longer to complete departure procedures.
Unless additional marechaussee personnel are deployed, the delays are expected to continue through the end of the summer. By then, the new Eurostar terminal in Amsterdam is scheduled to be operational. The updated terminal will feature automated scanners, eliminating the need for extra military police staff to carry out security checks.
Minister Faber has reportedly rejected a request to allocate more personnel to resolve the delay. According to AD, the shortage involves approximately two officers per day. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Asylum and Migration confirmed to the newspaper that clear agreements had already been made with Eurostar about the available deployment of the marechaussee. “We note that Eurostar has chosen to deviate from these agreements and to transport more passengers, which makes it take longer to check them,” the spokesperson said. The ministry reiterated this position in a new statement to AD and added that new arrangements may be considered in 2026.
Eurostar denies that finances are a factor in the dispute. The company has offered to pay for the additional border police required to maintain the original schedule.
NS and ProRail have warned of significant consequences for other domestic rail services. Due to ongoing renovations at Amsterdam Centraal Station, the delayed Eurostar departures could lead to scheduling conflicts, causing other trains to be delayed or even canceled.
