In an interview with the Financial Times, the Italian state rail operator Ferriovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), announced plans to launch a new service connecting Amsterdam with the cities of Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and potentially even Barcelona.
With the Dutch government recently deciding that Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) would no longer have the monopoly on international rail services, operators from all over Europe are now looking into options for expanding the number of cross-border routes across the continent.
One such operator is Italy’s FS, which has confirmed to the Financial Times that it “aims to launch high-speed links between European cities” - including Amsterdam.
Under the current plans, the company is looking to establish a new rail connection between the Dutch capital and Brussels - which FS’ chief international officer Carlo Palasciano Villamagna says is a “very popular line”. After a stop in Brussels, the service would then continue to Paris - a high-speed route which is currently only offered by Eurostar / Thalys.
FS is already looking into plans to set up rail connections between Paris in Barcelona, and is also hoping to establish a service to Berlin. If successful, FS’ services would be added to the list of new rail connections between the Netherlands and other European countries, including night train services to Prague, Zurich, Vienna and Berlin.
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