HIGH-speed operator Eurostar reintroduced direct services between Amsterdam and London on February 10, following the completion of a new terminal at Amsterdam Central station where passengers heading for Britain complete check-in, security and passport control procedures.
The new terminal was officially opened by Eurostar CEO, Gwendoline Cazeneve (pictured), John Voppen, CEO of Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail, Netherlands Railways (NS) CEO, Wouter Koolmees, and Chris Jansen, secretary of state for railway and public transport at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure.
The previous Eurostar terminal located on platform 15 at Amsterdam Central closed on June 15 2024 as part of a major station remodelling programme. Until the new terminal was completed, Eurostar passengers travelling to London had to leave the train at Brussels Midi for security checks and passport control before resuming their journey, which added around one hour to the journey time.
The new terminal is located beneath the tracks at Amsterdam Central, and includes a Business Premier lounge, and a café, with passengers having access to ultra-fast Wi-Fi and a real-time information system. The new terminal, which is larger than old facility and can handle more passengers than before, is being opened in four phases:
• until March 30, Eurostar services will accommodate a maximum of 400 passengers per train from Amsterdam, representing a 10% increase
• March 30 - April 22, the terminal will be closed again to facilitate further platform renovations
• from April 22 passenger capacity will increase to 600 from Amsterdam representing a 220% increase, with a 160% increase in capacity from Rotterdam, and
• by September 2025 full capacity of up to 650 passengers from Amsterdam will be introduced.
There are currently three round trips on weekdays and Sundays between Amsterdam Central and London St Pancras and two round trips on Saturdays. Eurostar intends to increase the frequency to five direct trains per day in the 2026 timetable.
