Heuro can be a potential competitor to Eurostar that has enjoyed monopoly on this highly lucrative route using the Channel Tunnel
A Dutch start-up plans to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris, further denting a monopoly that Eurostar has enjoyed on this highly lucrative route using the Channel Tunnel.
According to reports, Dutch start-up Heuro says that it aims to launch high-speed train services from Amsterdam to Paris and London in 2028.
Heuro says it will be offering 16 Amsterdam – Paris and 15 Amsterdam – London trains each day with intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, Antwerpen Centraal and Brussels.
Two of the Paris trains would run to and from Groningen via Assen, Zwolle and Almere, reports say citing Heuro.
The company says that every day, 55 planes fly from Amsterdam to London, while only four trains make this journey. Heuro says it intends to change that, aiming for more trains to depart from Amsterdam than flights.
The leadership of Heuro includes Roemer van den Biggelaar, Ventures Manager at Amsterdam-based marketing company Marveltest, and Marveltest Managing Partner Bhup Singh.
Heuro says its team includes former board members of Dutch national operator NS, bringing expertise in rail operations, and it is supported by investment firms from the United States and Switzerland.
The trains would travel at more than 300 kmph and would accommodate up to 550 passengers. Heuro says that its services would be ‘not just a travel alternative, but a leap towards a more connected and sustainable Europe’, with ‘the best internet experience’ and ‘quality food’ with prices which would be ’both fair and transparent’.
It adds that it aims to replicate Italy’s high speed rail sector, which it said stands as a testament to the benefits of competition in the industry. It said the launch of Italo in competition with Trenitalia resulted in a 40 pc fare reduction and a market growth of up to 300 pc and exemplifies the potential impact Heuro aims to achieve in the Amsterdam – Brussels – Paris – London network.
Mounting competition for Eurostar
But Heuro is not the only potential rival for Eurostar which has many others to look out for in the rear-view mirror.
Heuro’s announcement comes after Spanish start-up Evolyn announced plans in October for a Paris – London service and last week British media reported that British billionaire Richard Branson and Phil Whittingham, former head of Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast, were also eyeing the market.
