From the end of 2024, there will be twice as many trains (32 instead of 16) between Brussels and Dutch cities, railway companies SNCB (Belgium) and NS (Netherlands) report.
On Friday, Dutch rail operator Arriva (a subsidiary of German Deutsche Bahn) introduced an official proposal with the Dutch Competition Authority (ACM) to offer 26 lines from 2026.
The connection will be improved with new, faster trains. The new trains will run back and forth 16 times on the high-speed line between Amsterdam-South and Brussels-South, with stops at Schiphol, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Central.
The journey between Brussels and Amsterdam will take around two hours – 45 minutes faster than it is currently. This will provide a viable alternative to Thalys, which already runs high-speed trains between Brussels-Midi and Amsterdam Centraal.
IC trains still run from Brussels-Midi to Amsterdam Centraal and stop at more stations. That connection will remain but it will be shortened.
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From 2025, the trains will run 16 times between Rotterdam and Brussels-South, with intermediate stops at Breda, Noorderkempen, Antwerp-Central, Antwerp-Berchem, Mechelen, Brussels Airport, Brussels-North and Brussels-Central.
In the new timetable, Brussels Airport and other smaller stops of the current train will lose their direct connection to Amsterdam. However, according to NS, travel time with a changeover in Rotterdam will still be comparable to that of the current connection.
The exact timetable and ticket prices are still to be worked out by NS and SNCB.
