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\n Published on 10\/12\/2025 – 9:00 GMT+1\u2022Updated
\n 20\/03\/2026 – 12:06 GMT+1\n <\/p>\n
Dubbed the \u2018easyJet of the railways,\u2019 Dutch startup GoVolta undertook its inaugural journey this week. <\/p>\n
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The train operator is banking on cheap fares to tempt passengers; tickets for the newly launched routes from Amsterdam to Hamburg and Berlin start at just \u20ac19. <\/p>\n
Passengers can also book city break packages via GoVolta, which include train tickets and hotels.<\/p>\n
The company plans to extend its service with an Amsterdam-Paris line starting in December 2026.<\/p>\n
GoVolta promises cheap tickets and direct routes<\/p>\n
GoVolta has launched two international routes: Amsterdam\u2013Berlin and Amsterdam\u2013Hamburg, both operating three times per week. From 1 July 2026, the Berlin service will run daily. <\/p>\n
The Amsterdam\u2013Berlin route calls at Amersfoort, Deventer, Hengelo, Bad Bentheim, Osnabr\u00fcck and Hannover. The Hamburg route runs via Amersfoort, Deventer, Hengelo and Bremen.<\/p>\n
GoVolta is hoping to shake up Europe\u2019s international rail market with three promises: affordable prices, a guaranteed seat with every ticket, and direct connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ask people about international trains, you always hear the same story,\u201d says Hessel Winkelman, co-founder of GoVolta. \u201cYou spend ages searching, you pay a premium, and then it’s questionable whether you even have a seat. We want to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, standard tickets from Amsterdam<\/a> to Hamburg in March on Deutsche Bahn\u2019s ICE trains cost between \u20ac34 and \u20ac59, with anywhere from one to four changes required. Seat reservation costs an additional \u20ac5.70.<\/p>\n GoVolta is offering average ticket prices of \u20ac30 one way and fares starting from \u20ac19.<\/p>\n However, the start-up\u2019s low prices do come with a trade-off: its trains can only reach a top speed of 160 km\/h, significantly lower than ICE and Eurostar<\/a>\u2019s potential 300 km\/h.<\/p>\n This means journey times will often be slower, by around an hour between Amsterdam and Berlin, while the Paris trip could take twice as long as the Eurostar.<\/p>\n \u2018Making travelling to Europe by train as easy and affordable as flying\u2019<\/p>\n GoVolta\u2019s stated aim is to make \u201ctravelling to Europe by train as easy and affordable as flying<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n “The more affordable and attractive connections there are, the easier it becomes to switch from car and plane to rail. That is essential for the climate and for European connectivity,\u201d Jeroen Wesdorp, Programme Manager International Rail at ProRail, said in a press release.<\/p>\n But it isn\u2019t the first budget train operator to champion sustainable travel and keep Europe\u2019s budget airlines on their toes.<\/p>\n It follows in the footsteps of Dutch-Belgian startup European Sleeper<\/a>, which began offering affordable night trains in 2023. The company is expanding in June 2026 with new routes from Brussels and Amsterdam to Milan via Switzerland.<\/p>\n Ouigo in France, Avlo in Spain and Lumo in the UK are also challenging the monopoly of national train operators<\/a> and low-cost airlines, bringing low-cost high-speed options to train passengers.<\/p>\n What will it be like on board GoVolta trains?<\/p>\n GoVolta\u2019s trains have around 820 seats across 11 carriages. A lounge car serves hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals. <\/p>\n Passengers can choose between two ticket classes: economy and comfort, the latter of which promises a quieter environment and more spacious seating.<\/p>\n Economy passengers can also upgrade their ticket to reserve the seat opposite at a reduced rate to provide them with more space.<\/p>\n