Brexit may have started this month, yet at the end of April, the UK will be closer to mainland Europe than before. More specifically, it will be closer to Amsterdam and Rotterdam for those who take the Eurostar high-speed train to London. At the end of April the operator can finally start it long desired ‘direct’ trains from the Netherlands to London without a lengthy stop in Brussels.
Eurostar trains exiting the UK have been directly connecting London with Amsterdam and Rotterdam since 2018. But, to enter the UK from the Netherlands, passengers had to leave the train in Brussels and wait for an hour to go through a passport and security check. Now it has been announced that the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands have signed an agreement which makes it possible to do these checks in Amsterdam (as of 30.04) and Rotterdam (as 18.05), during boarding. Special terminals at these stations were erected in 2018.
Journey time from the center of Amsterdam to the center of London will be reduced to just a bot more than 4 hours, which will make the Eurostar a serious alternative to air travel, surely when you book well in advance.
Eurostar starts with two direct trains a day. Eventually, the offer may be extended to five daily direct connections.
Pictures from the Eurostar initial start at Amsterdam central station in 2018:
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