A new high-speed train has opened which links two beloved European cities in just two hours. (Image: Getty)
A new international high-speed – EuroCity Direct – was inaugurated on last Sunday morning (December 15), which links -Midi in Belgium to in the Netherlands.
This incredible is so fast that passengers will be able to travel between the famous cities in just two hours – 45 minutes faster than previous journeys.
Shortly before 11am last Sunday, the National Railway Company of (SNCB) and the Dutch railway company NS kicked off the extension of the services already offered by the two railway companies since 1957.
“This new link will be added to the existing IC train service (formerly known as InterCity, which has been operating under the name EuroCity Brussels- since Sunday), doubling the number of trains to the Netherlands in collaboration with our colleagues from Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS),” revealed SNCB.
The EuroCity Direct reduces the journey time between Brussels-Midi and Amsterdam-Zuid by 45 minutes – journey times on weekdays will run at around two hours seven minutes on weekdays and two hours at weekends. It will offer some 16 round trips daily.
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The train has more than 400 seats and can accommodate 12 bicycles, according to SNCB. (Image: Getty)
SNCB continued: “It stops at Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central, Rotterdam-Central, and Amsterdam-Zuid.
“The train has more than 400 seats and can accommodate 12 bicycles.”
The existing IC link – now called ‘EuroCity’ – will now stop at Rotterdam-Central but will also call at Brussels-Central, Brussels-North, Brussels-Airport-Zaventem, Mechelen, -Berchem, Antwerp-Central, Noorderkempen and Breda.
All existing stops in Belgium will retain their connection with the Netherlands.
Tickets for the EuroCity Direct range from €25 euros (£20.70) to €64 euros (£53).
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Brussels had over seven million overnight stays in 2023. (Image: Getty)
Tickets to Rotterdam on the EuroCity are available from as little as €13.10 (£10.85).
On the EuroCity route, domestic travel is still possible, so SNCB tickets are also valid in Belgium. However, this is not the case on the EuroCity Direct.
Both Amsterdam and Brussels are among the most popular cities for tourists. Welcoming the most tourists per resident in European capitals, Amsterdam was visited by over 23 million tourists in 2023 with 22.1 million overnight stays.
Brussels too had over seven million overnight stays, ranking it 14th among the most visited European capitals. In 2024, Brussels is expected to see a strong recovery in , with some data suggested it may be nearing its 2019 record.
In July, Brussels Airport saw its highest monthly passenger count since 2019, with approximately 2.5 million travelers.