Eurostar announces big change to train schedule kicking off this year

Eurostar is hugely increasing the capacity on the train services it runs between London and Amsterdam.

From December 15 the train company will operate five direct trains per day in each direction, something that has been made possible by the opening of the brand-new cross-channel terminal in Amsterdam in February 2025. That has allowed Eurostar to triple its capacity on the route—from 275 passengers in 2024 to more than 650 passengers per train at the end of this year.

Following the opening of the new terminal, passenger volume from London to Amsterdam is now up +18% year-on-year, compared to the same period last year.

“London to Amsterdam is one of the busiest routes by plane in Europe. With five daily returns, and 3000+ seats per day, we are offering a sustainable alternative to travel between the UK and the Netherlands. Since February, we’ve seen exceptional demand on our Amsterdam route, and the addition of a fifth daily service gives customers more choice and flexibility. It’s our ambition to offer a sustainable alternative and grow international high-speed rail as customers first choice across Europe," said Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar.

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In 2024, Eurostar transported 4.3 million passengers to and from the Netherlands. Eurostar has a target to carry 30 million passengers overall annually, which it aims to do with a new fleet of trains and additional destinations out of Amsterdam such as Geneva.

Earlier this year, Eurostar announced that it would be running direct train services from the UK to Germany and Switzerland, heralding what it calls "a new golden age of international sustainable travel." The rail service provider has announced ambitious plans to connect London St Pancras directly with Frankfurt and Geneva starting in the "early 2030s".

A whopping two billion euros (£1.7 billion) is set to be invested in a fleet of up to 50 cutting-edge trains to operate these routes. Travellers could zip from London to Frankfurt in around five hours, and reach Geneva in just five hours and 20 minutes.

Details such as potential stops along the way – for instance, Cologne on the Frankfurt route – and whether passengers can board or disembark mid-journey are still under discussion.

Ms Cazenave said that there's a growing appetite for longer train journeys over flights as people "want to travel more sustainably". She anticipates a high demand for these direct connections to Frankfurt and Geneva, noting their status as "big financial hubs" and their appeal to both leisure and business travellers.

However, several challenges lie ahead before the dream becomes reality, including expanding station capacity, establishing new border controls, and securing track access.

Ms Cazenave admitted that launching new international train routes demands "time, investments, expertise, a huge amount of energy, and partnerships", but she is confident that the new direct services will materialise due to the "willingness" of Eurostar, passengers and governments.

Just last month, the UK and Switzerland inked a memorandum of understanding with the aim of setting up direct train services between the two nations. Eurostar plans to run the new trains alongside its current 17 e320s, taking its total fleet to 67 trains, marking a 30% increase from today.

The addition to its fleet will also allow it to enhance existing routes, such as bumping up its daily return frequencies between London and Paris from 17 to 20.

Eurostar's London trains currently serve Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as the French Alps during ski season. It also operates services within Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

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Last year, it transported 19.5 million passengers, a 5% rise from 18.6 million in 2023. The London-Paris route was its top performer in 2024, carrying 280,000 passengers. This was followed by London-Brussels (250,000 passengers), Paris-Brussels (160,000 passengers) and Paris-the Netherlands (140,000 passengers).

Competition looms for Eurostar as several firms eye an end to its exclusive rights to ferry passengers through the Channel Tunnel. Virgin Group led by the prosperous Sir Richard Branson, Italy's state railway FS Italiane Group, and Gemini Trains, overseen by Labour peer Lord Berkeley, are all on board with plans to challenge Eurostar's current dominance.