GoVolta to launch new Amsterdam rail services to Berlin, Hamburg and Paris

New rail entrant GoVolta will begin operating services from Amsterdam to Berlin and Hamburg from late March, three years after first outlining its plans. The privately owned company will run three trains per week to each German city in partnership with Keolis, marking the first direct daytime competitor to NS and Deutsche Bahn on the Amsterdam–Berlin route.

GoVolta’s Berlin service will offer fares starting at €10 for the first 100 seats, with an average one-way price of €30. The Hamburg connection will be entirely new for Dutch passengers, who currently must transfer at least once on NS or DB services. However, journey times will be longer than existing options: 6 hours 35 minutes to Berlin and 7 hours 45 minutes on the return. Trains will also operate without onboard Wi-Fi.

Co-founder Maarten Bastian said the company aims to attract travellers who currently opt for flights or cars due to cost or complexity. GoVolta intends to increase frequency to daily services next summer and plans to launch an Amsterdam–Paris route in December 2026, though that trip will be slower than current Eurostar services.

Regulatory changes permitting new operators on international routes previously reserved for NS have paved the way for the start-up’s launch.