Heurotrain secures 10-year French track access agreement for Amsterdam – Paris route

EUROPE: Dutch open-access start-up Heurotrain has secured a 10-year framework agreement with French infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau to facilitate the launch of high speed services between Amsterdam and Paris.

The contractual agreement covers paths on the section between Paris Nord and Wannehain on the Belgian border from December 2030 until the end of December 2040. It marks a milestone for the company founded in 2023; Heurotrain has not operated any trains to date, but it has ambitions to challenge Eurostar on international routes.

Heurotrain Chief Executive Gerrit Spijksma welcomed the decision by SNCF Réseau, stating that long-term track access is essential for securing capital. ‘Launching a new international rail service requires major investments years in advance in trains, staff and the organisation’, Spijksma said. ‘France is now providing us with that certainty for 10 years. It gives us the opportunity to move forward with our plans for a fast, comfortable and affordable service to Paris.’

Heurotrain intends to launch high-speed services from 2030 matching the journey times of incumbent operator Eurostar. The company is seeking 32 train paths daily, equivalent to 16 return trips or one train per hour in each direction from early morning until late evening. By comparison, Eurostar currently operates around 10 daily return services between Paris and Amsterdam.

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