Thanks for reactions. We will see what competitors propose. The main issue for beating airlines (the competition) is maximum convenience (for business users) coupled with minimum cost (for leisure users). I believe that straightforward end to end services is the best marketing strategy and if Rotterdam is a goer for end to end, a few services per day, non-stop for commuting businessmen, would do well, I'm sure.
If we run services to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and we want to avoid detraining at Lille, we need emigration controls and security at Amsterdam and Rotterdam. That's no different whether services run non-stop or not. Now let's say each city justifies one train per day (a Eurostar train holds approx. 800 people, or about 5-6 plane loads, so that's already a lot).
We could run one non-stop train per day to each city. One train per day is not very competitive with airlines when it comes to flexibility. Next Tuesday, British Airways operate 20 flights from AMS and London airports, and KLM/Air France operate 18. You can add Easyjet's flights as well. Neither business or lesire travellers are likely to hang around for many hours, or stay a extra night (incurring extra cost) to catch the next train when so many flights are available.
Or we could run two trains per day, stopping at both, taking a few minutes longer (which is not significant in a 4 hour journey), but offering twice the flexibility. Still not very flexible on timing, but certainly better.
So if we want Eurostar to compete, we need it to stop in Rotterdam. And much as I hate to say it, maybe Antwerp too.
BTW, I agree that Eurostar will not carry passengers only between Amsterdam and Rotterdam (and Antwerp).
Remember that Thalys can stop at Rotterdam and Brussels on the way to Paris, because it's all inter-Schengen. Another few more outrages and that may not last, by the way.
British people are very confused about the nature of borders in Europe. Do you believe that before Schengen, every border had an impenetrable wall along it? Could you explain how the Thalys' intermediate stops have contributed to terrorist attacks?