Dutch company Arriva has notified the Belgian rail regulator of its intention to link Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, to Paris via Belgium, according to the regulator's website.
Arriva announced its intention to launch this connection a year and a half ago and now its plans are taking shape.
From 1 June 2026, the company wants to run a train once a day in both directions between Groningen and the French capital. The trains will pass through Belgium, hence the notification to the Regulatory Body for Railway Transport and Brussels Aiport Operations.
The train would start each day at 6.24 am from Groningen and serve several Dutch stations, including Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam. It will then pass through Belgium, stopping at Antwerp, Brussels Airport, Brussels-Central, Brussels-Midi and Mons. The train would arrive in Paris at 1:30 p.m.
The return journey from the French capital would start at 3:00 p.m, arriving in Groningen at 10:36 p.m..
Arriva intends to offer this service with conventional trains travelling at speeds of up to 160 km/hr.
