Channel Tunnel train operator Eurostar is launching direct services between London and Amsterdam. Trains will run twice daily from 4 April, with the journey from St Pancras to Amsterdam taking three hours and 41 minutes.
But for an initial period, the Eurostar service will only run direct one-way, from London to the Dutch city.
Tickets for the two daily trains – starting from £35 one way – will go on sale on 20 February. More than 4 million passengers a year fly between London and Amsterdam, making it one of Europe’s busiest air routes as the Netherlands grows in popularity as a key business and tourism hub.
The cross-Channel rail operator is set to challenge established airlines on the route, including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. It will target potential converts by saying a London-Amsterdam Eurostar journey emits 80% less carbon than the equivalent flight.
Source: BBC and The Guardian
