The signing of new treaties has paved the way for direct train services between Amsterdam and London later this year.
An existing agreement between the UK, France and Belgium has been modified to include the Netherlands and was signed by all four countries at a ceremony in Brussels yesterday.
Eurostar launched non-stop London-Amsterdam train services in 2018 but the return service has until now required a change of trains and security and immigration clearance in Brussels.
“The treaty being singed is a great milestone for the direct return journey which allows us to progress plans to introduce it later this year,” said a Eurostar spokesperson. “We will provide an update as soon as we are able to put tickets on sale and confirm a start date.”
The introduction of non-stop services had originally been scheduled for April but was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The UK Border Force will station officials in Amsterdam and Rotterdam to conduct security procedures before departure from the cities, as they already do in Belgium and France.
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said: “As we begin to emerge from one of the greatest international challenges of our time, we’re working hard to support the recovery of international transport and tourism sectors.
“The signing of these treaties today will enable the launch of direct return services from the Netherlands to London, which is fantastic news for both the UK and our European neighbours.”
Stientje van Veldhoven, Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure, added: “The new direct train service enables us to travel from Amsterdam to London in just over four hours. It’s fast and convenient, and without the hassle of disembarking in Brussels for border and security checks.
“A Eurostar train roughly has twice as many seats as an average airplane on the Amsterdam-London route and CO2 emissions are significantly lower. The train service to London therefore is a sustainable and competitive alternative to flying.”