A century-old train line connecting two beautiful European cities will be soon closed – but there is a catch.
The daily train connection between the Netherlands and Switzerland which has been running for the last 100 years will come to an end this summer, however, there a new line between the Netherlands and Munich is tipped to launch in December.
The Dutch (NS) and German (Deutsche Bahn) railway companies had until this week to tell ProRail if they planned to keep running the service to Basel until 2025, reports the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. NS confirmed to the Volkskrant that they haven’t given such notice.
This means the high-speed train won’t be running next year. Track work has already stopped this service for a few months, and the last trip between Amsterdam and Basel will be on July 15.
Daytime train services between the Netherlands and the Swiss Alps have operated for over 96 years, initially known as Edelweiss in 1928 before being rebranded as Trans Europe Express in 1957.
As of 2024, the ICE (Intercity Express) is the sole remaining daytime train.
With its discontinuation, the Austrian Railways’ Nightjet night train will become the sole direct train link between the two countries.
However, the opening of a new line between the Netherlands and Munich comes as a ray of hope for many travellers.
The dates are yet to be finalised. A spokesman for the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Netherlands railway company, told Dutchreview.com: “The timetable from 2025 in Germany is not yet final, which is why it is still too early to answer questions about it.”
In the last century, there were daily EuroCity trains from The Hague and Amsterdam to Munich, but they stopped running in the early 2000s.
Now, Amsterdam and Munich are only linked by the Nightjet to Vienna/Innsbruck.
The new direct ICE train service between Amsterdam and Munich is expected to be faster and more convenient, and it’s likely to be popular with both business and leisure travellers.
