Eurostar is to maintain a service to Amsterdam this summer after overcoming fears of a six-month suspension due to renovation work to the station in the Dutch city.
However, services from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam will reduce from four to three a day.
The return will involve a change of trains in Brussels, adding between 48 minutes and one hour 48 minutes to the journey time, according to the Channel Tunnel high speed passenger train company.
Eurostar’s cross-channel terminal at Amsterdam Centraal station will operate until June 14 and then be closed for six months for renovation works
Chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said: “Amsterdam is a key hub for Eurostar’s international network.
“In 2024, we will continue to develop sustainable travel with a specific solution during the renovation of Amsterdam station.
“We will ensure the continuity of the direct London-Amsterdam link. From Amsterdam and Rotterdam to London, passengers will be able to travel by Eurostar with a connection, with a choice of up to eight routes.
“The construction of a new terminal is vital for passengers, who will be able to increase their numbers significantly when it opens.”
The development came as the company reported a 22% rise in carryings in 2023 to 18.6 million passengers, returning numbers in line with pre-Covid levels.
The result was boosted by strong demand on routes to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, and puts Eurostar on track to achieve an ambition of reaching 30 million passengers a year by 2030.
Cazenave said: “We carried almost eight million passengers between London and France (+25%), 1.1 million between the Netherlands and the UK (+38%) and 2.2 million to Belgium (+33%).
“Our goal is to encourage more people to take the train so it’s a win for customers and a win for the planet. We have a bold vision to reach 30 million passengers by 2030, and growth in 2023 of plus 22% versus 2022 show we are strongly on our way.”
Eurostar expects to carry almost two million passengers to Paris across the Olympic and Paralympic Games period this summer.