Dutch rail operator Arriva has announced plans to expand its international rail network with new direct services linking the Dutch cities of Utrecht and The Hague to Belgium and Paris, further strengthening cross-border rail connections between the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
The company has submitted an updated notification to the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), outlining plans to launch two new international routes from February 2028, or as soon as operational and regulatory conditions allow.
The proposed expansion builds on Arriva’s previously announced plans to operate direct trains between Groningen and Paris, a service first expected to launch in 2026 but now postponed until at least 2027. Together, the three routes would create a broader international network serving several major Dutch cities while providing additional travel options through Belgium.
Under the latest proposal, Arriva intends to operate two daily return services between Amersfoort and Paris, with stops in Utrecht, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Breda before crossing into Belgium. Belgian stops would include Antwerp, Brussels Airport, Brussels-South and Mons before continuing to the French capital.
A second route would connect The Hague with Paris three times a day in each direction, calling at Rotterdam and Roosendaal before following the same Belgian itinerary.
For travellers in Belgium, the plans would introduce new direct rail links not only to Paris but also to major Dutch cities including Utrecht and The Hague, while reinforcing Brussels Airport’s role as an increasingly important international rail hub.
The Hague would also gain its first direct rail connection to Paris, improving access between the French capital and one of Europe’s leading centres for diplomacy, international organisations and international justice.
Arriva says the expansion would make use of existing spare capacity on rail infrastructure in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. However, the company acknowledged that launching new international services remains a lengthy process requiring timetable coordination, infrastructure capacity allocation and regulatory approvals in all three countries.
The operator argues that demand for international rail travel continues to grow as passengers increasingly seek sustainable alternatives to short-haul flights. It also believes that greater competition on international routes can help lower fares and improve service quality, pointing to experiences in countries such as Spain, Italy and France following rail market liberalisation.
The latest announcement follows Arriva’s earlier proposal to introduce a daily Groningen-Paris service via Brussels, first announced in 2023. As reported by Travel Tomorrow, that service was initially expected to begin in June 2026, with stops including Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, Antwerp, Brussels Airport, Brussels Central, Brussels-South and Mons before reaching Paris. The company has since revised its timetable, with the Groningen route now expected to launch no earlier than 2027 as preparations continue.
Arriva is the largest competitor to Dutch national railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and already operates cross-border services in the region through the Three Country Train, which links Liège, Maastricht and Aachen.
If approved, the expanded network would mark another step towards greater rail connectivity across north-west Europe, offering travellers more direct alternatives to flying while strengthening links between the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
