Brussels - Amsterdam FYRA service

[shinkansen1966]

Does anyone have news on the launch of Brussels - Antwerp - Rotterdam - Amsterdam FYRA service ?

Their web site http://www.fyra.com/?page=home-en just refers to services starting in the second half of 2010...

At the moment, there's some kind of temporary service between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Thalys also uses the high speed line. Though it's impossible to get cheaper through London-Amsterdam Eurostar/Thalys tickets.

 

[Old Timer]

Does anyone have news on the launch of Brussels - Antwerp - Rotterdam - Amsterdam FYRA service ?

Their web site http://www.fyra.com/?page=home-en just refers to services starting in the second half of 2010...

At the moment, there's some kind of temporary service between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Thalys also uses the high speed line. Though it's impossible to get cheaper through London-Amsterdam Eurostar/Thalys tickets.

There have been a number of problems, not least the fact that the no-one is prepared to pay the higher fare.

There was a point when I think they proposed to stop the service because of the lack of revenue on the Belgian side. I will take a look and get back to you later.

 

[A60K]

There have been a number of problems, not least the fact that the no-one is prepared to pay the higher fare.

There was a point when I think they proposed to stop the service because of the lack of revenue on the Belgian side. I will take a look and get back to you later.

I remember there was certainly some wrangling from the Belgian Railways about their capital share of the high speed line. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a revenue issue as well - the only relation within Belgium is Brussels to Antwerp. Given that there's already a reasonably fast and frequent IC service between the two I don't see domestic passengers wanting to pay extra to chop 10 minutes off a journey time, especially when they would wait longer than that on average for a high speed train to turn up! It's also not a journey on which you would reserve a seat, so if that was necessary I think Belgian domestic usage would be close to nil.