Eurostar Adds Four Daily London-Antwerp Trains From 2026

LONDON/BRUSSELS – Eurostar will add Antwerp Central as a one-way stop on its London–Amsterdam route from 14 December 2026, creating up to four direct London-to-Antwerp services daily with a 2 hour 41 minute journey time. Passengers travelling to London from Antwerp will still need to change at Brussels-Midi for UK security, passport control and border checks.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

Eurostar’s London-to-Amsterdam trains will call at Antwerp Central between Brussels-Midi and Rotterdam, with no change to final Amsterdam arrival times. The operator said existing timetable gaps allow the stop to be inserted without extending total journey times. Trains currently pass through the Belgian city without stopping, and the new service will not operate southbound because Antwerp Central lacks a dedicated area for UK-bound security, customs and passport control. Eurostar stated there are no current plans to install such facilities at Antwerp station. No cost estimate for the stop or future border facilities was disclosed.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

Antwerp Central will differ from Brussels-Midi, which already has the infrastructure to process UK-bound passengers on the same corridor, but Eurostar did not disclose any cost estimate for bringing Antwerp to the same standard. At a route level, Eurostar carried a record 20 million passengers in 2025, attributed in part to restored direct London–Amsterdam services after maintenance works (Source: RailwayPRO, 2025). ProRail separately called for Dutch infrastructure spending to rise to 2% of GDP in 2025 to prevent deterioration of transport networks, indicating that capacity on the corridor is under review beyond Eurostar’s own timetable changes (Source: RailwayPRO, 2025).

Editor’s Analysis

The one-way stop creates a lower-cost demand test for Antwerp without committing Eurostar to border infrastructure works, but it leaves Antwerp-to-London travellers dependent on Brussels-Midi interchange capacity. That dependence could intensify if Eurostar’s 2025 passenger record and Dutch infrastructure investment calls signal further demand growth on the same corridor (Source: RailwayPRO, 2025). Eurostar’s decision not to announce Antwerp border facilities suggests any southbound direct service would require a separate capital decision, not a timetable adjustment.

FAQ

Q: Will Eurostar run direct trains from Antwerp to London in December 2026?
A: No. Eurostar will only call at Antwerp Central on London-to-Amsterdam services. The station lacks UK border, security and customs facilities, and there are no current plans to add them.

Q: How long is the new London-to-Antwerp journey?
A: It takes 2 hours 41 minutes. That is around 49 minutes shorter than the current option of changing at Brussels-Midi.

Q: Will the Antwerp stop make London-to-Amsterdam trips longer?
A: No. Eurostar said existing timetable gaps allow the stop to be added without changing final Amsterdam arrival times.