From 15 December, the Intercity trains running between Brussels and Amsterdam will be replaced by the new Eurocity Direct trains, which are faster because they can travel at speeds of up to 200km/h. Enough to make the connection in 2h07 on weekdays and 2 hours at weekends, a saving of 45 minutes compared with the current service. Timed with a departure at 49e minute of each hour, the service will be operated by SNCB in collaboration with NS, the Dutch railways. Sixteen rotations a day will be offered, including stops at Brussels-Midi, Antwerp Central, Rotterdam Centraal, Schiphol airport and Amsterdam Zuid. The route will be slightly longer than that of its competitor Eurostar (ex-Thalys) which links Brussels-Midi to Amsterdam Centraal in 1 hour 52 minutes.
An arrival in the heart of the Zuidas business district
In addition to the reduced journey time, the advantage of Eurocity Direct will be that it can carry passengers as far as Amsterdam Zuid, in the heart of the Zuidas business districtThe station is close to the World Travel Centre, home to some 300 international companies, the Rai Amsterdam exhibition centre and numerous business hotels, including CitizenM, Innside by Melia, Qbic Hotel WTC and Nhow Amsterdam Rai. Located in the south of the city, this modern railway station is set to undergo major development in the future due to saturation and the works currently affecting Amsterdam Centraal.
To reach Amsterdam Zuid from the city centre, or to travel to the city centre or other parts of Amsterdam, business travellers can use the suburban train network, the metro, the bus, a taxi or a VTC service. Eurocity Direct stops in Schiphol will allow passengers to follow their journey with a medium- or long-haul flight, notably with KLM, part of the Skyteam alliance.
Brussels Zaventem airport on the classic Eurocity train
It should be noted that, for their part, and from 15 December as well, ex-Intercityrenamed EuroCity, will link Brussels-Midi to Rotterdam Centraal at conventional speed, with stops at Brussels-Central, Brussels-North, Brussels Airport Zaventem, Mechelen, Antwerp-Berchem, Antwerp-Central, Noorderkempen and Breda.
