GoVolta to launch Amsterdam-Berlin-Hamburg trains next year; Seats from €10

Dutch rail startup GoVolta will begin offering low-cost train service to Berlin and Hamburg starting in March, with tickets as low as 10 euros, de Volkskrant reports.

Service to Berlin starts March 19 and Hamburg March 20, with two departures per week. Trains will stop in Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Deventer, and Hengelo.

GoVolta also plans a Paris route later this year via Gent instead of Antwerp and Brussels, pending approval from Belgian authorities in April.

The company reportedly wants to challenge established operators such as NS, Deutsche Bahn, and Eurostar. The first 100 tickets per departure will cost 10 euros, substantially cheaper than Deutsche Bahn or NS fares, which rarely fall below 30 euros.

Trips will take longer than other operators. GoVolta trains run at a maximum of 160 kilometers per hour, making the Berlin journey around seven hours, an hour longer than Deutsche Bahn. A Paris trip would take about seven hours, double Eurostar’s 3.5-hour schedule.

GoVolta, founded by 33-year-old entrepreneurs Hessel Winkelman and Maarten Bastian, signed a purchase agreement in early November with Belgium’s national railway, SNCB/NMBS, acquiring 13 used carriages built in 1987 for more than 1 million euros. Refurbishing the trains will cost an additional 2 million euros.

Winkelman emphasized that affordability is key to attracting new passengers. "We need a low price to attract people to the train." This will reach new audiences, people who now travel by car, bus, or plane, or those who cannot afford a holiday and therefore stay home.”