The Dutch railway company Arriva submitted an application to the Dutch authorities on Friday to offer a number of additional train connections. She wants to run trains from The Hague or Amsterdam to Antwerp, Brussels and Brussels Airport from 2027.
Arriva hopes to have the opportunity to serve 26 rail routes from 2026 on which NS trains currently still run. The company is submitting an application to the Dutch Consumer & Markets Authority (ACM) “before irreversible decisions are taken” by the Dutch government to privately award the main rail network to NS until 2033.
Like other carriers, Arriva opposes a monopoly of NS on the main rail network in the Netherlands. They have already threatened legal action if the new award is rejected. The European Commission also called on the Netherlands to comply with the rules for the award of public transport contracts.
Arriva would therefore also like to travel from the Netherlands to Belgium from 2027, with stops in Antwerp, Brussels and Brussels Airport.
Supporter
Brussels Airport is in favor of this. “It is interesting because we want to promote alternatives to short flights such as between Amsterdam and Brussels. Traveling that distance by train without changing is very good for travelers,” said spokeswoman Nathalie Pierard.
Brussels Airport is also discussing a return of Thalys trains to the airport with high-speed rail company Eurostar, but these negotiations have not yet yielded any results.
The Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel points out that several steps are required to obtain a permit for journeys in Belgium. The train equipment must, among other things, be adapted and meet Belgian safety standards.
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