Qbuzz Plans Amsterdam-Paris High-Speed Train Connection for 2027

Qbuzz is aiming for January 2027 for the start-up of the Amsterdam-Paris connection, according to the application submitted to the Dutch regulator Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). The application refers to seven journeys in both directions per day, with stops along the way at Schiphol, Rotterdam, and in Belgium in Antwerp and Brussels. Qbuzz would use the Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed train on the connection.

Qbuzz also has plans for Amsterdam-Berlin and Amsterdam-Eindhoven connections. The transport company is a subsidiary of the Italian railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. Qbuzz says it has reserved 200 million euros for the plans.

Last week, Arriva, which, like Qbuzz, already provides regional public transport in the Netherlands, announced plans to run a high-speed train (from Groningen) between Amsterdam and Paris every day from June 2026, with stops in Antwerp and Brussels, among others. Arriva is part of the German railway company Deutsche Bahn.

Competition

If the plans become concrete, this will mean extra competition for Eurostar (which merged with Thalys last year) on the Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris line. The Belgian railway company NMBS has an interest of 18.5 percent in the high-speed train operator.

Qbuzz and Arriva are already announcing the plans because the Dutch government has indicated that it wants to make the international rail connections part of the main rail network, unless other applications are submitted in time. She would like to award the concession for the main rail network to the Dutch Railways (NS), which would allow that rail company to continue to provide the most important connections after 2025.