Eurostar to scrap direct trains to popular European destination next year
EUROSTAR has confirmed that a popular route from the UK will be scrapped next summer.
Brits can currently travel from London St Pancras to Amsterdam via Eurostar.
The current direct route takes around six hours.
However, it has since been confirmed that the service will be scrapped from next summer, and not resuming until 2025 at the earliest.
The suspension, due to a refurbishment of the Centraal Station, will run from June 2024 to January 2025,
A spokesperson from NS, the Dutch train operator, said: “Unfortunately, we have had to conclude that despite all efforts, there will be a period in which there will be no direct train to London from Amsterdam.
“That period is expected to be six months (approximately June 2024–January 2025).
“That is very disappointing because we have worked hard in recent years to make the Eurostar to London an attractive alternative to the plane.
“We have jointly chosen to take a step back in the second half of 2024 and not run a Eurostar directly to London for a while.
“The new, large terminal will be ready from January 2025 and we will have the opportunity to allow many more travellers to travel directly from Amsterdam to London.”
Brits will instead have to change trains at Brussels if travelling to the Netherlands.
Until that happens, passengers from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to London will need to change trains in Brussels.
Eurostar has also scrapped a number of international routes which includes the direct service from London to Disneyland Paris.
Families will now have to change at Paris to a local train to visit the theme park without flying.
And Eurostar trains no longer stop at at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International in the UK, which were paused during the pandemic.
Brits can only depart the UK from London St Pancras.
And two new train operators are challenging Eurostar, who currently have the only UK-Europe train line.
Richard Branson could soon launch a new train service from the UK to Europe, reviving Virgin Trains.
And start-up Evolyn is hoping to launch London to Paris train services from 2025.