From 14 December, Eurostar high-speed trains travelling from London to Amsterdam will also stop at Antwerp Central station. However, the service will operate in one direction only, as the Belgian station lacks the facilities required for the border and security checks necessary for travel to the United Kingdom.
The international high-speed operator Eurostar will introduce a new stop at Antwerpen-Centraal, Antwerp Central Station, for trains departing from London to the Netherlands.
Currently, trains pass through the Belgian city without stopping. From 14 December, passengers will be able to travel directly from the British capital to Antwerp, without changing trains in Brussels.
The journey time will be 2 hours and 41 minutes, compared with around three and a half hours at present, when passengers have to change trains at Brussels-Midi station.
The stop will operate only in the London–Antwerp direction
Eurostar trains running from Amsterdam and Brussels to London will not stop at Antwerp.
The reason for this is the lack of a dedicated area for security checks, passport control and border formalities for passengers entering the United Kingdom. Eurostar states that there are currently no plans to install such facilities at Antwerp station.
Passengers wishing to travel from Antwerp to London will continue to travel first by domestic train to Brussels-Midi, where they will undergo the necessary checks before boarding the Eurostar.
The operator already sells integrated tickets for this route, which include both the domestic journey between Antwerp and Brussels and the Eurostar leg to London.
Up to four trains a day
Eurostar currently operates up to four daily trains between London and Amsterdam.
On the route to the Netherlands, these trains stop at Lille, Brussels-Midi and Rotterdam. From December, Antwerp will be added between Brussels and Rotterdam.
The company states that the new stop will not extend the total journey time to Amsterdam, as the existing gaps in the timetable allow for the introduction of the stop without altering the final arrival times.
The new direct service will provide the city of Antwerp with its first direct Eurostar connection from London, though this will only apply to journeys to the continent.
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