EUROSTAR has reached agreement with Netherlands Railways (NS) to launch a service between London and Amsterdam starting in December 2016 as part of a package of measures announced by the Dutch cabinet on September 27 following the withdrawal of the V250 Fyra trains.

THE battle between the Dutch and Belgian operators and the Italian supplier of the V250 electric trains for the aborted Amsterdam – Brussels Fyra service is intensifying.

ANSALDOBREDA has reacted to Netherlands Railways (NS) decision to cancel its order for 16 V250 high-speed trains by arguing that the operator failed to correctly implement a recovery plan for introduction of the fleet.

NS Financial Services, the leasing subsidiary of Netherlands Railways (NS), has officially cancelled its contract for 16 V250 high-speed trains from AnsaldoBreda, following the lead of Belgian National Railways (SNCB) which cancelled its contract for three of the trains on May 31.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) recorded a net loss of €76m in the first half of this year compared with a profit of €147m in the first half of 2012.

BELGIAN National Railways (SNCB) has begun preparing a claim for damages against AnsaldoBreda following the cancellation of its order for three V250 high-speed trains.

ITALIAN rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda announced on August 1 that it has filed an appeal against the verdict of the Court of Justice in Utrecht, which ruled on July 3 that Netherlands Railways (NS) and Belgian National Railways (SNCB) will not be required to disclose three technical reports commissioned prior to the cancellation of their orders for V250 Fyra trains.

GERMAN federal transport minister Dr Peter Ramsauer, the first minister of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia Mrs. Hannelore Kraft, and German Rail (DB) CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube signed a €1.5bn agreement in Bonn on July 24 to fund a major upgrade of the 73km line between the Dutch border at Emmerich and Oberhausen.

UTRECHT Regional Council (BRU) has issued a tender notice for a contract to supply 27 low-floor LRVs for the 7.5km Uithof Line, which will link Utrecht Central station with the Uithof universary campus on the eastern side of the city.

IN an effort to fill the void left by the abandonment of Brussels – Amsterdam Fyra services, Thalys is planning to introduce two additional weekday services to Amsterdam from October 7.