Eurostar: Two hour delay on Amsterdam-London route this summer – but some services will still run direct

Eurostar passengers will face a possible two hour delay as part of a solution to disruption on the Amsterdam-to-London route over the summer.

The rail service will offer some routes between the Dutch capital and London this summer, in a part-answer to the looming disruption, which has been caused by construction at Amsterdam’s main station.

Eurostar passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will now be offered a connecting service via Brussels, adding between 48 minutes to one-hour and 48 minutes to UK-bound journeys.

Going the other way, Eurostar will operate three direct daily services from London to Amsterdam, down from a previous four.

The reduced Eurostar service will begin on June 14, lasting for six months until a new cross-channel terminal comes into operation.

“Amsterdam is a key hub for Eurostar’s international network. In 2024, we will continue to develop sustainable travel with a specific solution during the renovation of Amsterdam station,” chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said.

“We will ensure the continuity of the direct London-Amsterdam link. From Amsterdam and Rotterdam to London, passengers will be able to travel by Eurostar with a connection, with a choice of up to 8 routes. The construction of a new terminal is vital for passengers, who will be able to increase their numbers significantly when it opens.”

Building work at Amsterdam’s Centraal station had threatened to suspend services from the Netherlands for six months, on what has become one of the high-speed operator’s most popular routes.

Meanwhile, Eurostar carried 18.6 million passengers in 2023, up 22 per cent on 2022, and exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The UK-continental operator said routes that have seen the most growth are between London – Amsterdam, up 38 per cent, to Brussels, increased by 33 per cent, and Paris, up by a quarter.  

Cazenave heralded its “exceptionally strong growth” last year.