Eurostar has announced the launch of a new direct service connecting London St Pancras International with Antwerp, Belgium, beginning December 14.
The new route is timed to allow travelers to visit Antwerp's museums, markets, and historic streets during the pre-Christmas period. The direct journey from London to Antwerp is expected to take approximately two hours and 41 minutes. This marks the second direct route between the UK and Belgium offered by Eurostar, which already operates multiple daily services between London and Brussels.
Four of the ten daily trains bound for Brussels will extend their routes to include Antwerp, with intermediate stops at Lille-Europe, Brussels-Midi, and Rotterdam Central.
Currently, passengers traveling to Antwerp via Eurostar must change trains in Brussels. The existing journey with a transfer takes about three hours and 30 minutes.
However, the new service will not offer direct return journeys from Antwerp to London. Travelers wishing to return will need to book a combined ticket that includes an SNCB train to Brussels-Midi, where UK border and security checks will take place. A Eurostar spokesperson cited the need for dedicated UK border and customs facilities at Antwerp-Centraal as the reason for the lack of direct return routes in the near future.
Eurostar emphasized that the direct Antwerp stop will enhance convenience and reduce travel time for customers traveling between city centers. Tickets for the new route are now on sale, with one-way fares starting at £51.
Eurostar also has plans to introduce additional direct services to Frankfurt and Geneva, utilizing a fleet of up to 50 trains. These routes are anticipated to roll out during the 2030s, though specific dates have not yet been released.