PLANS to launch high-speed services from Amsterdam to Brussels, Paris and London in competition with Eurostar have been announced by Dutch company Heurotrain.
Heuro says it is aiming to offer an "ambitious schedule" of 16 Amsterdam - Paris and 15 Amsterdam - London services every day. The new Heuro service would have intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central and Antwerp Central. Two of the Paris trains would also serve Groningen, Assen, Zwolle and Almere.
Each high-speed train would have capacity for 550 passengers, the company says, revealing to Dutch publication Railtech.com that it is discussions with "several manufacturers."
Heuro is led by founder, Dutch entrepreneur, Mr Maarten van den Biggelaar, and his son, Mr Roemer van den Biggelaar. The company says the team also includes former Netherlands Railways (NS) board members while it is supported by American and Swiss investment firms. The founders are currently seeking candidates to manage the operations business. “We ourselves are better at building a brand and selling tickets,” Roemer van den Biggelaar told Railtech.
“For buying trains, we are advised by former board members of the NS, and several industry experts from the relevant countries are involved in the project," he says. "This is how we are building a team and network that will take the project forward.”
The Heuro project has been informed by market analysis conducted by Amsterdam-based data research and marketing company Marveltest.
Van den Biggelaar runs Marveltest's investment arm and the firm says that online interest in train travel has grown by 32% a year over the last five years. Over 50% of Europeans now prefer rail as a greener option for journeys under 2 hours, according to Heuro, which says that its duty is to reduce global carbon emissions as quickly as possible.
With high-speed services 98% full at peak times, the company points out that introducing new services in competition with incumbent monopoly operators “boosts demand by 45%.”
Heuro adds that it aims to introduce the latest technological innovations into every aspect of its new service, from advanced train systems to “intuitive in-seat features” catering to passenger needs. It refers to an Italian-style coffee bar that will "rival the best... in Rome."
As regards on-train connectivity, Heuro says it guarantees “the best internet experience.”
No details of future fare levels have been released, apart from a commitment to fair and transparent pricing. “We aim to alleviate financial burdens, not add to them,” Heuro says.
Heuro’s intention is to compete with Eurostar’s former Thalys services from Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as its routes to and from Britain. Its announcement comes after start-up company Evolyn stated last month its plan to start operating between London and Paris in 2025.
If successful, Evolyn would become the first competitor to enter the market since Eurostar first began commercial operations through the Channel Tunnel on November 14 1994.
Virgin Group
According to recent reports in the British media, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson is also preparing to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly on cross-Channel high-speed rail services, working with former Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast managing director, Mr Phil Whittingham.
The arrival of potential competition for Eurostar has been welcomed by Dr Erich Forster, president of the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants (AllRail), who points to the success of the Italian high-speed market where Italo-NTV competes with incumbent Trenitalia.
“Competition in Italy has led to more choice and more trains,” Forster says. “It is clearly the solution for the northwest European high-speed rail market as well.
“Put simply, start-ups such as Heuro are the future of passenger rail. We look forward to an alternative to the current situation where - with only one operator (Eurostar) - the market is chronically underserved."
