From June 2024, there will be no direct trains from the Netherlands and London as Amsterdam Centraal’s passport control undergoes renovations. Despite the disappointing news, it will still be possible to travel in the other direction from London to the Netherlands, or from the Netherlands to London with a stop in Brussels. 

Stakeholders fail to find solution for passport problem

The disruption is not only concerning for passengers but also for a number of Dutch transport organisations who spent months trying to figure out a solution. The NS, ProRail, and the Dutch government conducted research to find out if other alternative options could be successful but unfortunately, no solution was found. 

One positive comes from the fact that the disruption to public transport was initially expected to last for around 11 months, but will now only stop direct journeys for six. This is due to the extensive nature of renovations set to be carried out at Amsterdam Central Station. According to NOS, the passport control at Centraal will reopen in a new location in December 2024. 

Rotterdam alternative also not possible

As part of the research into alternatives, Rotterdam was also considered as a way to keep passengers flowing between the Netherlands and the UK while Amsterdam is out of action. However, Rotterdam station lacks the capacity to carry out such large checks. 

Rotterdam’s passport control at the train station has room for just 150 passengers at a time. This means that up to 750 passengers would miss out due to the lack of space, something that Eurostar notes is not financially viable.

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