The heavily-used rail corridor between Amsterdam and Brussels will get even busier next year as a new competitor doubles the number of daily trains on the line from 16 to 32.
Arriva, a subsidiary of Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, has filed to operate the additional trains starting late next year. Arriva, which has also operated franchised rail lines in the UK, has qualified as a Dutch rail operator, and filed with the Dutch Competition Authority. Its application also includes other routes it would like to add in 2026.
The trains connecting Amsterdam Centraal and Brussels Midi would run on the high-speed line also used by Thalys/Eurostar, but will stop at fewer stations and take only about two hours, cutting 45 minutes from the schedule. The route will include stops at Rotterdam, and Antwerp, as well as Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
