It is expected that by 2019 Netherlands will join the arrangement with immigration checks in Netherlands, allowing direct trains from Amsterdam to London through the Eurotunnel.
(meta data) TITLE: Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route - BBC News (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews ## Accessibility links ## BBC News Navigation US & Canada Entertainment & Arts In Pictures Reality Check World News TV Special Reports The Reporters Have Your Say Business selected Market Data Global Trade Technology of Business Connected World Global Education # Eurostar launches London-Amsterdam route Channel Tunnel train operator Eurostar is launching direct services between London and Amsterdam. Trains will run twice daily from 4 April, with the journey from St Pancras to Amsterdam taking three hours and 41 minutes. But for an initial period, the Eurostar service will only run direct one-way, from London to the Dutch city. Passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will have to change at Brussels to clear passport controls. ## You might also like: Anger over lollipop man's high-five ban Anime fans 'sobbing' at Olympic ice skating IN PICTURES: The best gardens nature has to offer Eurostar says the connection at Brussels is a temporary measure until the British and Dutch governments reach an agreement to allow passport checks to be conducted on departure in the Netherlands. It says this should be in place by the end of 2019. ## Analysis: Victoria Fritz, BBC transport correspondent Image copyright Getty Images It's been a long time coming, but finally passengers will have the option of travelling between the UK and the Netherlands direct by rail. The German operator Deutsche Bahn announced and then cancelled a link between the UK and Dutch capitals five years ago. Since then, Eurostar's efforts have been plagued by technical and bureaucratic set-backs. Uptake is likely to be small, at least at first. Whilst Brits are familiar with international train travel, the Eurostar brand will be much newer to those on the other end of the line. There will be only two trains a day from the UK. That compares to 70 direct flights daily from London to Amsterdam, for example. Although Eurostar cannot compete on flexibility of travel, the train company is putting itself in direct competition with the airlines on price. Fares start at £35 for a one-way ticket. There will be those, particularly business travellers, who would prefer access to power sockets, free wifi and room to work on a train over the retail extravaganza of modern airports. Game-changing will be de wrinkling the passport controls process on the return leg. Hassle-free, connected travel is a luxury many will be prepared to pay handsomely for. ## 'Historic milestone' The rail company will be running two services a day, departing at 08:31 and 17:31 respectively, with one-way fares starting at £35. Eurostar also says the new service will cut the journey time between London and Brussels by 17 minutes to one hour and 48 minutes. "The launch of the London to Amsterdam service marks a historic milestone in the expansion of international high-speed rail travel, revolutionising the connection between these important destinations," the company said. It says more than four million passengers travel between London and Amsterdam by air each year and therefore the market is the same size as it was when the London-Paris services launched in 1994. It points out that since then, the market for travel between London and Paris has more than doubled. ## Related Topics ## More on this story Why Amsterdam is hiking tourist tax 21 September 2017 ## Top Stories Amazon fires an 'international crisis', says Macron The French president's call for the issue to be discussed at the G7 summit angers Brazil's president. 23 August 2019 Huawei boss not a bargaining chip, says Pompeo 22 August 2019 'My mum is meeting my dad for the first time' 22 August 2019 ## Features ### Three ways Trump could juice US economy ### The mystery photos of a 1957 gay wedding ### Inside the first dive to the Titanic in 15 years ### A North Korean defector's 'death by indifference' ### 'I stabbed someone to get into a white supremacy gang' ### BBC Worklife: Why so many young Swedes live alone ### The fake baby adoption scam ### Quiz of the week: Did you read about Bowie's bandstand? ### Would you let your child become a 'kid influencer'? # Elsewhere on the BBC ### Football phrases 15 sayings from around the world Full article Football phrases Why you can trust BBC News ## BBC News Services On your mobile On your connected tv Get news alerts Contact BBC News
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Juxtaposed controls
History and perspective.
While the juxtaposed controls existed previously, Brexit in 2019 is expected to require an increase at border control. For this reason, it is expected that the UK will have to contribute more to the border. The view of Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith is that "There is no logical or legal reason why Britain should pay anything towards this. It is an absurdity." 
 From France's point of view, the border between France and the UK will be more expensive than the border between Ireland and the UK. 
 From Hauts-de-France region president Xavier Bertrand, the "Traité de Sandhurst" is nothing new ("Il n'y a rien de nouveau"): The British will continue issuing checks that will just compensate a grand total's fraction.