From 15 December, Eurostar will operate a daily 8.16am departure to Amsterdam, via Rotterdam, in addition to services at 6.16am, 11.04am, 3.04pm and 5.04pm.
It follows works at Amsterdam Centraal station that will allow Eurostar to triple capacity on the route from 275 passengers per train to 650 by the end of the year once the upgrade is completed. It has also allowed trains to run direct to Amsterdam rather than via Brussels Midi station.
Passenger volume between London and Amsterdam is currently up 18% year-on-year since the new terminal opened in February.
Fares for the new 8.16am service, which calls at Rotterdam Centraal station at 12.32pm before arriving in Amsterdam at 1.20pm, went on sale on Thursday (10 July).
There will also be a new corresponding return service from Amsterdam, which will depart at 4.40pm. This is in addition to Amsterdam-London services at 6.40am, 10.40am, 2.40pm and 6.40pm.
Eurostar currently operates three London-Amsterdam services a day, which will increase to four a day from early September.
’Sustainable alternative’
Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar chief executive, said with five daily returns offering more than 3,000 seats in each direction each day, Eurostar was offering "a sustainable alternative" for travel between the UK and the Netherlands, with London-Amsterdam one of the continent’s busiest air routes.
"Since February, we’ve seen exceptional demand on our Amsterdam route," she continued. "The addition of a fifth daily service gives customers more choice and flexibility. It’s our ambition to offer a sustainable alternative and grow international high-speed rail as customers first choice across Europe."
Earlier this year, Eurostar pledged to restore full capacity on its London-Amsterdam route by September – and to have a fifth daily services up and running "by 2026".
It has also revealed ambitions to serve Frankfurt and Geneva from London by the early 2030s and to launch a new route between Amsterdam/Brussels and Geneva.
This growth would be served by plans to expand its fleet to 67 trains. It has pledged €2 billion for up to 50 new trains to renew and grow its fleet.
