Eurostar trains will not be able to run directly from the Dutch capital Amsterdam to London, the capital of the United Kingdom, for six months next year. Passengers from the Netherlands will have to transfer in Brussels for passport control during that period – probably from July to December 2024. The Dutch government and Eurostar said this on Friday.
The problem is caused by a renovation of the Amsterdam Central station, which means “the Eurostar cannot immediately depart safely to London, because there is no room for the necessary passport and baggage checks”. This is stated in a letter from the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Vivianne Heijnen to the House of Representatives in The Hague. The United Kingdom is outside the Schengen zone, so passport control is required.
Solutions have been sought in recent months, but it turned out not to be possible to find an alternative to an interruption. However, the period was reduced to an expected six months, while previously it was possible to eleven months.
“For a period of approximately six months, travelers can travel from Amsterdam to London with a transfer in Brussels,” the State Secretary writes. “I realize that a direct journey is more pleasant, but this way at least a travel option is maintained for the traveler.” The intention is to take measures to “optimize the transfer in Brussels, so that traveling from the Netherlands to London remains possible in a pleasant way”.
Eurostar confirms the interruption. The high-speed train operator emphasizes that the direct connection from London to Amsterdam will be maintained. The Eurostar trains Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris will also continue to run, a spokeswoman added. No passport control is required for these trips.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
