Tickets go on sale for new European high speed line

The long awaited high speed line between Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne will open on 13 December 2009 and tickets are now on sale through Rail Europe.

The opening of the new line will see the entire route between Paris and Amsterdam and Cologne operate at high speed. Thalys trains will run at speeds of up to 300 km per hour, with reductions in journey times of close to 1 hour on certain routes:

At present, UK passengers can make the journey from London to both Amsterdam and Cologne in around 5 and a quarter hours. From December, with an easy connection in Brussels, fastest journey times will be reduced to 4hrs 16 minutes from London to Amsterdam and 4 hours 11 minutes from London to Cologne.

There will be 5 services per day from Brussels to Amsterdam that connect with a Eurostar service, and 5 services from Brussels to Cologne connecting with a Eurostar service.

To mark the launch of the new line, high speed operator Thalys is redesigning its trains, staff uniforms and onboard menus, with the whole fleet scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.

Fares from London to Amsterdam currently start at £94 standard class return per person, while fares from London to Cologne start at £87 standard class return per person.

To book or for further information on the new high speed line, visit raileurope.co.uk or call into the Rail Europe Travel Centre at 1 Regent Street, London, SW1.