Travel

Eurostar could drop popular London route next year – despite only launching six years ago --[Reported by Umva mag]

EUROSTAR could ditch one of the most popular train routes from London next year. Ongoing maintenance works could see the direct London to Amsterdam route scrapped for the entirety of 2025. Eurostar could scrap the London-Amsterdam route for all of 2025 GettyOngoing works in Amsterdam could delay the restart of London services[/caption] The direct route has already been suspended since June 15, due to renovations at Amsterdam’s main train station. Instead, Brits have to travel to Brussels and change there, taking an extra hour. But plans to restart the direct train in early 2025 may not be possible. Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave warned that all trains running to Amsterdam may be scrapped entirely next year. This is because it has not yet been confirmed that the international terminal at Amsterdam Centraal station will reopen in time. She told local Dutch media Het Financieele Dagblad: “We are concerned there are no guarantees or clear commitments about the readiness of the surrounding infrastructure to reconnect Amsterdam and London.” “Without clarity on behalf of the Dutch railway network […] Eurostar will be forced to suspend services between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, on the one hand, and London and Paris, on the other, during the course of 2025. “This will not be Eurostar leaving the Netherlands, this would be Eurostar being pushed out from the Netherlands.” She added that the deterioration of the train lines has resulted in “reliability problems, capacity restrictions and particularly inconvenient delays for passengers”. Trains on the high speed lines have also reduced its top speed since 2023, going down from 99mph to 50mph. Despite this, Cazenave said they still hoped to restart the services next year, if they can get the go-ahead. The London-Amsterdam route launched back in 2018. This follows Eurostar’s first ever London route back in 1994, running from Waterloo station to Paris and Brussels. This later changed to London St Pancras in 2007. A second UK train service was added at Ashford International back in 1996, although this was scrapped during Covid and is unlikely to return. The UK to Disneyland direct service – which launched in 1996 – has also been scrapped, with Brits having to change at Lille or Paris. Despite this, Cazenave revealed Eurostar’s future plans for new European routes, as well as additional trains being added to the fleet. But other train operators have revealed they could soon enter the market with UK routes. Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences. Davos to Geneva, Switzerland “After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen “Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey London to Paris by Eurostar “Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail “From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton Beijing to Ulaanbatar “The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray Virgin Trains could launch between the UK and Europe. And start-up Evolyn has revealed plans to launch train services between London to Paris. AlamyOther routes that have been scrapped are from Ashford International and Disneyland Paris[/caption]

Sep 25, 2024 - 09:29

Eurostar could drop popular London route next year – despite only launching six years ago --[Reported by Umva mag]

EUROSTAR could ditch one of the most popular train routes from London next year.

Ongoing maintenance works could see the direct London to Amsterdam route scrapped for the entirety of 2025.

a blue and yellow train is going down the tracks — Eurostar could scrap the London-Amsterdam route for all of 2025

a large red building with a clock on top of it

Ongoing works in Amsterdam could delay the restart of London services[/caption]

The direct route has already been suspended since June 15, due to renovations at Amsterdam’s main train station.

Instead, Brits have to travel to Brussels and change there, taking an extra hour.

But plans to restart the direct train in early 2025 may not be possible.

Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave warned that all trains running to Amsterdam may be scrapped entirely next year.

This is because it has not yet been confirmed that the international terminal at Amsterdam Centraal station will reopen in time.

She told local Dutch media Het Financieele Dagblad: “We are concerned there are no guarantees or clear commitments about the readiness of the surrounding infrastructure to reconnect Amsterdam and London.”

“Without clarity on behalf of the Dutch railway network […] Eurostar will be forced to suspend services between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, on the one hand, and London and Paris, on the other, during the course of 2025.

“This will not be Eurostar leaving the Netherlands, this would be Eurostar being pushed out from the Netherlands.”

She added that the deterioration of the train lines has resulted in “reliability problems, capacity restrictions and particularly inconvenient delays for passengers”.

Trains on the high speed lines have also reduced its top speed since 2023, going down from 99mph to 50mph.

Despite this, Cazenave said they still hoped to restart the services next year, if they can get the go-ahead.

The London-Amsterdam route launched back in 2018.

This follows Eurostar’s first ever London route back in 1994, running from Waterloo station to Paris and Brussels.

This later changed to London St Pancras in 2007.

A second UK train service was added at Ashford International back in 1996, although this was scrapped during Covid and is unlikely to return.

The UK to Disneyland direct service – which launched in 1996 – has also been scrapped, with Brits having to change at Lille or Paris.

Despite this, Cazenave revealed Eurostar’s future plans for new European routes, as well as additional trains being added to the fleet.

But other train operators have revealed they could soon enter the market with UK routes.

Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world

Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.

Davos to Geneva, Switzerland

“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire

Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen

“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey

London to Paris by Eurostar

“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski

Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail

“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton

Beijing to Ulaanbatar

“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray

Virgin Trains could launch between the UK and Europe.

And start-up Evolyn has revealed plans to launch train services between London to Paris.

a blue and yellow eurostar train is on the tracks

Other routes that have been scrapped are from Ashford International and Disneyland Paris[/caption]

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