Arriva Netherlands, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, has submitted an application to the Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM) to operate its first cross-border Open Access rail service between Groningen in the Netherlands and Paris, France.
The proposed service aims to meet the growing demand for sustainable transportation options and the European Commission’s objective of creating more train connections across European borders.
If approved, the daily service is planned to start in June 2026, with a journey time of just over five hours. The route would connect major cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, and Paris, potentially providing competition to air travel between these destinations.
Arriva intends to encourage plane-to-train connections by including a stop at Schiphol Airport. The company believes that expanding rail networks and offering sustainable choices can help shift inter-city travel away from aviation.
Arriva has experience operating Open Access night trains and plans to submit applications for additional routes in the future.
Details:
The train will depart from Groningen at 05:30 and stop at Zwolle, Almere, Amsterdam South, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central, Antwerp Central, Brussels South and arrive at Paris Gare du Nord at 10:40. The return journey would depart Paris at 19:15, arriving at Groningen around 00:30. In addition, Arriva plans a third daily train connection between Amsterdam and Paris in the middle of the day.