SNCB and NS, the national rail operators of Belgium and the Netherlands, have launched a new high-speed rail service between Brussels and Amsterdam.
The ‘Eurocity Direct’ service, which commenced this week, offers 16 return journeys daily and significantly reduces travel time between the two cities by 45 minutes, bringing the total journey time down to just 2 hours and 7 minutes.
Each train features over 400 seats and is equipped to accommodate up to 12 bicycles, catering to both commuters and tourists.
This new high-speed connection supplements the existing InterCity rail link between Brussels and Amsterdam, which has been rebranded as ‘EuroCity’. The EuroCity service now terminates at Rotterdam-Centraal. Additionally, Eurostar operates a high-speed link between Amsterdam-Centraal and Brussels-Midi.
The Eurocity Direct service departs from Brussels-Midi and stops at Antwerp-Central, Rotterdam-Centraal, Schiphol, before reaching its final destination at Amsterdam-Zuid. Flex fares for this new high-speed service start at €64.10, offering a convenient and efficient travel option for passengers.
