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High-speed line

The High-Speed Line (HSL) was specially built by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to increase high-speed train services between Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. Trains can travel faster than 200 kilometres per hour on this line. Every day, 269 trains run on the HSL.

The HSL-Zuid is the first Dutch high-speed line. It consists of two fast sections: from Hoofddorp to Rotterdam Central and from Rotterdam Lombardijen to the Belgian border and onwards towards Antwerp.

On the remaining parts of the route, trains run on conventional tracks.

Domestic high-speed line

Trains on the HSL

Eurostar to London

Eurostar runs three direct services a day between London and Amsterdam. The journey from London to Amsterdam takes just 4 hours and 16 minutes. The trip to Rotterdam takes only 3 hours and 28 minutes.

Eurocity Direct and EuroCity

With Eurocity Direct and EuroCity, you can travel comfortably to Brussels. These are fast and affordable connections from the south of the Netherlands to Belgium.

Timetable

  • The Eurocity Direct runs 16 times a day, departing from Lelystad and travelling via Amsterdam Zuid towards Belgium. Not all trains start from Lelystad; please check the Journey Planner on nsinternational.com for details.
  • The EuroCity also runs 16 times a day from Rotterdam to Brussels, stopping at Breda, Noorderkempen, Antwerp, Mechelen and Zaventem.

Eurostar to Belgium and France

Eurostar is the high-speed train connecting the Netherlands, Belgium and France. It is the high-speed service for daily travel between these countries. If you enjoy winter sports, Eurostar takes you to numerous beautiful destinations in the French Alps. At weekends, you can travel with Eurostar directly to Charles de Gaulle Airport and Disneyland Paris.

Expansion of train services

NS and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have agreed to increase the number of trains on the HSL. This will allow more travellers to travel faster and more comfortably.

The expansion includes:

  • More frequent Intercity Direct services
  • A new Intercity service between The Hague and Eindhoven (partly on the HSL)
  • The launch and expansion of Eurostar services between Amsterdam and London
  • Intercity Brussels via Breda to Brussels

Since 2018, the Eurostar and the upgraded Intercity Brussels have been regularly operating on the high-speed line.

A complex and unique railway line

The HSL combines new high-speed tracks with conventional railway lines. This makes its infrastructure, signalling, rolling stock and timetable unique in Europe.

This combination also makes the line more vulnerable to disruptions, which can have significant impacts on travellers. NS and ProRail work daily to improve its reliability.

Ambitions and performance

NS and ProRail have made clear agreements with the Ministry regarding train performance on the HSL. In 2018, NS met all agreed performance targets for the second consecutive year – an important milestone in improving high-speed services.

The people of the HSL

What happens behind the scenes when an HSL train breaks down? How does a train driver start their day? And who repairs a train to get it back on track quickly? In The people of the HSL, you get a unique behind-the-scenes look through a series of short videos.

High-speed line news