Eurostar to stay at Amsterdam Central; Terminal for London passengers to move off-track
Renovations at Amsterdam Central Station will not force the Eurostar train service to London to move out of the station, or temporarily halt its service to the Dutch capital, as was previously feared. The Dutch national railway, NS, confirmed to NL Times details of a report published on Friday stating that the Eurostar terminal will be moved to the Amstelpassage, an underground walkway below the tracks that houses a cafe and storefronts. A spokesperson said the decision looks like the best solution, and the NS hopes it will be finalized by the end of the year.
ProRail will take over the area on Track 15B where the terminal is currently based. The railroad infrastructure firm will use the area to carry out track renovations starting at the beginning of 2024. It was feared that if a suitable location was not found, the service to London could be temporarily halted for years, which Infrastructure State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen said was "unacceptable."
Instead, NS said the lounge where security and passport control for Eurostar passengers will move below ground. In doing so, maximum capacity for the trains can also rise from 250 to 600 as the area can accommodate more people. "The Eurostar is important for the international rail passenger and especially for the transition from plane to train on the shorter distances," the State Secretary said back in June. Eurostar currently operates several trains daily between London and Amsterdam, with a total journey time of under four hours.
The NS wants those passengers who check in to be able to directly access the track to depart on the international service. It is not yet clear when the move will take place.
Aside from a cafe, nail salon, and tattoo parlour, there are a few small shops located in the area, which is also known as Lil' Amsterdam. There are 18 pop-up spaces available in total, which can also be used for galleries. In the past, the area has also hosted parties for Amsterdam Dance Event, and other music events, and is sometimes used by the International Documentary Film-festival Amsterdam.
Eventually, Eurostar and other international train services could move from Amsterdam Centraal to Station Zuid. The train station in the south of the city will be expanded over the next few years.
