New trains to link Netherlands and France, with stops in Belgium

Qbuzz, a subsidiary of Italy's national railway company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, announced plans to run trains between Amsterdam and Paris on Monday, following the example of the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary Arriva last week.

Qbuzz is targeting January 2027 to launch trains from Amsterdam to Paris, and also to Berlin, according to its application to the Dutch regulator ACM. It also has plans for a connection between Amsterdam and Eindhoven.

Last week, Dutch transport company Arriva announced plans to run a daily train between Groningen and Paris from 2026, with stops in Brussels and Antwerp. The company also said it wanted to make more applications in the future for train services from the Netherlands to Belgian and French cities.

Single European Railway Directive

The companies are announcing the plans now, as the Dutch government wants to make international rail links part of the main rail network unless other applications are made in time. The concession for the main rail network would once again go to state rail operator NS.

The ACM will now investigate whether the proposed connections would conflict with passenger trains currently operated by NS. The companies refer to the EU's Single European Railway Directive, which allows companies other than those that own the infrastructure access to railway lines.

^{© RAMON VAN FLYMEN / ANP / AFP}