Dutch rail operator Arriva has unveiled plans to significantly expand its international rail ambitions by adding direct services from The Hague and Amersfoort to Paris, complementing its previously announced Groningen to Paris route. The company is now targeting a launch in early 2028, although it acknowledges that the timeline remains uncertain.
Arriva has submitted an updated notification to the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (Autoriteit Consument en Markt, ACM), expanding an application first filed in 2023 for a daily Groningen – Paris service. The operator had originally hoped to launch that route in 2026, but the start has since been postponed. Arriva now says all three planned Paris services are expected to begin in 2028, or as soon as preparations allow.
The proposed network would see multiple daily trains linking the Netherlands with Belgium and France. Arriva plans to operate two daily return services between Amersfoort and Paris, calling at Utrecht, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and Breda before continuing via Antwerp, Brussels Airport – Zaventem, Brussels-South and Mons (Bergen). A second route would connect The Hague with Paris three times a day in each direction, serving Rotterdam, Roosendaal and the same Belgian stations.
The existing Groningen proposal would also call at Antwerp, Brussels Airport, Brussels-South and Mons, creating a network of direct international services between the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
For Belgian travellers, the plans would provide additional direct rail options to Paris, while also improving access to Dutch cities including Utrecht and The Hague. Politicians in The Hague will be happy to hear this.
The inclusion of Brussels Airport would strengthen links to one of Europe’s main aviation hubs, while The Hague would gain its first direct rail connection to Paris, reinforcing its role as an international centre for diplomacy, justice and international organisations.
Arriva said it intends to make use of currently unused capacity on the Dutch, Belgian and French rail networks. However, the operator stressed that launching an international service requires separate capacity applications, timetable coordination and regulatory approvals in all three countries, making the preparation process complex and difficult to predict.
The company said it remains convinced there is strong demand for additional international rail services as travellers increasingly seek sustainable alternatives to short-haul flights. Arriva also argued that greater competition on international rail routes has already led to lower fares and improved services in countries such as Spain, Italy, and France, and believes similar benefits could be achieved on routes between the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
Arriva is the largest competitor to the Dutch national railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and already operates cross-border rail services in the region through the Tri-Country Train, linking Liège, Maastricht, and Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle, Aken).
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