Vacationers can not journey on to London with out safety and passport management. What precisely this implies for the timetable is just not but identified: it’s nonetheless being investigated. In consequence, all vacationers in Brussels could have to depart the prepare for the checks, as was the case within the early days of the Eurostar within the Netherlands. An alternate is to let passengers board solely in Rotterdam, however capability there may be so restricted that the prepare must depart greater than three-quarters empty.
State Secretary Heijnen says he finds it “very disappointing”. In line with her, there may be nonetheless an opportunity that the interval with out direct Eurostar could be shortened from eleven to seven months, however that’s not at all sure. If that fails, there will likely be no direct trains from Amsterdam to London from June 2024 to Might 2025 and lots of vacationers will likely be extra inclined to take the aircraft or ferry to England.
“I’m conscious that this final result has unfavourable penalties for vacationers and the ambition to switch short-haul flights with the prepare,” mentioned the State Secretary. However an exterior assessment would even have proven that no answer is feasible.
Renovation Amsterdam Central
Amsterdam Central Station is being renovated on a big scale to have the ability to deal with extra trains and passengers. For instance, the platforms will likely be widened and the capability of the escalators and stairs will likely be elevated. In any other case, resulting from passenger progress, it’s doubtless that the platforms will grow to be so busy that security will likely be jeopardized. With the intention to widen the platforms, the variety of tracks will likely be lowered, however a greater structure, free crossings and a distinct timetable ought to enable extra trains to run.
The renovation is much from completed in 2025, however the development of a short lived Eurostar terminal within the Amstelpassage will enable direct Eurostars to London to run once more from Might of that yr. In probably the most optimistic case, this may be introduced ahead to the flip of the yr 24/25, says Heijnen.
