Eurostar, the high-speed train operator, has warned Dutch rail infrastructure officials that continued speed limits, slowdowns and construction delays could lead Eurostar to cut the Netherlands from its networks.
Eurostar, which now includes its former subsidiary Thalys, operates routes connecting Amsterdam to London and Paris as well as Brussels and Rotterdam. Since November, train speed has been cut by from 160 kph to 80 kph on several sections of the Dutch high-speed line, creating frequent delays and longer journeys.
The London route has also been disrupted by construction at Amsterdam's Centraal station; the work has made it impossible to complete passport controls there, forcing passengers to interrupt their travels at Brussels before continuing on to London.
Gwendolien Cazenave, Eurostar CEO, recently wrote in a financial newspaper that although “immense effort is going into the ambitious and complex renovation of the Dutch rail infrastructure, its deterioration now causes reliability issues, capacity restrictions and frustrating delays for passengers.”
She added, “Eurostar is fully ready to re-open direct services by early 2025 as planned, but we are concerned there are no guarantees or clear commitments about the readiness of the surrounding infrastructure to reconnect Amsterdam and London.”
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