Eurocity Direct is the new rail service (from 15 Dec 2024) between Amsterdam and Brussels which replaces the Intercity Brussels service.
It can be easily booked via the NS International site (euros) or the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) with prices starting at only €25 one-way.
NS International (Dutch Railways) and NMBS/SNCB (Belgian Railways) jointly run this 16x daily direct train between Amsterdam and Brussels. With new Intercity trains running on the high-speed track and limited stops the journey times have been reduced to just over 2 hours.
Slower stopping trains known as EuroCity will also operate from Rotterdam to Brussels.
The info here is applicable for travel in either direction.
Eurocity Direct timetable (2024-25)
Amsterdam to Brussels (daily)
| ECD 9512 | ECD 9516-9568 | ECD 9572 | |
| Amsterdam Zuid | dep 06:03 | hourly 07:03-20:03 | 21:03 |
| Schiphol Airport | arr 06:09, dep 06:11 | hourly 07:11-20:11 | 21:11 |
| Rotterdam Centraal | arr 06:39, dep 06:41 | hourly 07:41-20:41 | 21:41 |
| Antwerpen Centraal | arr 07:26, dep 07:37 | hourly 08:37-21:37 | 22:37 |
| Brussel Zuid/Midi | arr 08:11 | hourly 09:11-22:11 | 23:11 |
Brussels To Amsterdam (Mon-Fri)
| ECD 9523 | ECD 9527-9579 | ECD 9583 | |
| Brussel Zuid/Midi | 06:49 | hourly 07:49-20:49 | 21:49 |
| Antwerpen Centraal | arr 07:23, dep 07:35 | hourly 08:35-21:35 | 22:35 |
| Rotterdam Centraal | arr 08:19, dep 08:21 | hourly 09:21-22:21 | 23:21 |
| Schiphol Airport | arr 08:48, dep 08:50 | hourly 09:50-22:50 | 23:50 |
| Amsterdam Zuid | arr 08:56 | hourly 09:56-22:56 | 23:56 |
Brussels To Amsterdam (Sat-Sun)
| ECD 9523 | ECD 9527-9579 | ECD 9583 | |
| Brussel Zuid/Midi | 06:57 | hourly 07:57-20:57 | 21:57 |
| Antwerpen Centraal | arr 07:31, dep 07:35 | hourly 08:35-21:35 | 22:35 |
| Rotterdam Centraal | arr 08:19, dep 08:21 | hourly 09:21-22:21 | 23:21 |
| Schiphol Airport | arr 08:48, dep 08:50 | hourly 09:50-22:50 | 23:50 |
| Amsterdam Zuid | arr 08:56 | hourly 09:56-22:56 | 23:56 |
Amsterdam-Brussels Map & Route
The Eurocity Direct originates in Lelystad and stops in Almere (Buiten and Centrum) before arriving at Amsterdam Zuid. Note, it does not serve Amsterdam Centraal station!
From Amsterdam Zuid it stops twice more on the Dutch side – calling at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal.
It travels on the high speed track and crosses the border into Belgium making a single stop at Antwerp Central before terminating at Brussels Zuid/Midi.
Total journey times:
2 hours 8 minutes for Amsterdam-Brussels, 2 hours 7 minutes (Mon-Fri), 1 hour 59 minutes (Sat-Sun) for Brussels-Amsterdam.
1 hour 23 minutes for Amsterdam-Antwerp, 1 hour 21 minutes for Antwerp-Amsterdam.
1 hour 30 minutes for Rotterdam-Brussels, 1 hour 30 minutes (Mon-Fri), 1 hour 22 minutes (Sat-Sun) for Brussels-Rotterdam.
45 minutes for Rotterdam-Antwerp, 44 minutes for Antwerp-Rotterdam.
Total distances:
- 203km (Amsterdam Zuid-Brussel Zuid/Midi)
- 156km (Amsterdam Zuid-Antwerpen Centraal)
- 142km (Rotterdam Centraal-Brussels Zuid/Midi)
- 95km (Rotterdam Centraal-Antwerpen Centraal)
These are the track distances rather than point-to-point, calculated ourselves using Google Maps.
Maximum speed: 200kmh on the high-speed track
Amsterdam-Brussels EuroCity Direct train ticket fares
Bookings for the Amsterdam-Brussels Eurocity Direct service opens up to 335 days before travel – shorter booking horizons are possible when waiting for the following year’s fares to be made available.
There are 2 types of fares for the Eurocity Direct – Saver and Flex.
Saver fares are cheaper and are valid for a specific date and departure time. For Amsterdam-Brussels, one-way saver fares start at €25 (2nd class) and €48 (1st class).
Saver bookings are freely changeable up to 1 day before departure; bookings can be cancelled up to 1 day before departure with a €5 cancellation fee.
Flex fares are valid on any departure for a particular day and are freely changeable and cancellable up to 1 day before departure.
For Amsterdam-Brussels the one-way flex fare (2025) is €64.10 (2nd class) and €96.70 (1st class).
Up to 4 children aged 4-11 can get added for free with an adult Eurocity Direct booking.
Those with NS subscriptions may get a specific discount on their Eurocity Direct ticket which will be calculated during your booking.
Book your Amsterdam-Brussels tickets
Amsterdam-Brussels train tickets can easily be booked at one of these 2 sites at the same fares:
Book at the NS International site – this is the Dutch Railways international arm, it has a clear interface, payment in euros and no booking fees.
Book at the Trainline site (UK based) which offers payment in multiple currencies although there is a small booking fee.
You have the option to book directly from Amsterdam Zuid in which case you need to make your own way to the station.
If booking from “Amsterdam Centraal” you will see more expensive Eurostar options (Amsterdam-Brussels) or it will give you the choice to travel by NS train to Schiphol Airport and pick up the Eurocity Direct from there.
EuroCity Direct train
Newer series ICNG (Intercity New Generation) are deployed for the Amsterdam-Brussels Eurocity Direct service. These first entered service in 2023 on various Dutch domestic Intercity routes.
The trains are manufactured by Alstom and are a specially adapted version of the Coradia series which can run on both high-speed and standard tracks.
Amsterdam-Brussels EuroCity Direct train – Seats & Facilities
The 8 car ICNG 3300 series train has 410 seats in a 2 class formation with open seating. The trains feature low-level wide-entry doors for easy boarding.
There are no seat numbers or reservations for the Eurocity Direct – so you can simply find a vacant seat in your class.
Seats on the Amsterdam-Brussels EuroCity Direct
2nd class seats are in a 2-2 open plan configuration with a mix of airline-style directional seating or 4-seater tables.
1st class seats are in a 2-1 configuration with more legroom and width.
Both classes also feature sofa-style seats, luggage racks and designated areas for bicycles and wheelchairs.
Facilities on board
- The windows on the Eurocity Direct trains are large and offer good views.
- Free WiFi is available at to all passengers.
- European power outlets and USB ports are found between each seat pair.
- Accessible toilet facilities are available.
- TV screens give live travel information.
- Some cabin sections are designated quiet areas.
Luggage on EuroCity Direct
Unlike flying there are no extra charges for bringing luggage with you on your Eurocity Direct journey. The train has overhead luggage racks above the seats and other racks for larger bags/cases.
You are officially requested only to bring luggage that you can carry on board yourself and that fits into the luggage racks provided. You cannot leave your luggage in the aisles.
Please keep an eye on your belongings at all times because opportunist thieves can be present on the route.
Bicycles on the EuroCity Direct
It is possible to bring a bike onboard the Eurocity Direct train in a specially marked zone.
You will need to reserve for a specific departure and buy a bike ticket (€13.90 per bike, maximum of 12 places per train).
Amsterdam-Brussels train trip scenery
The rail journey between Amsterdam and Brussels is not particularly renowned for its scenery though there are a few points of interest.
- Views of Rotterdam’s modern skyline.
- Crossing the Hollandsch Diep by bridge.
- Coming into Antwerp, crossing the Albertkanaal railway bridge with distant views of the spectacular Port Authority Building designed by architect Zaha Hadid.
- Passing through Mechelen with fleeting views of the St Rumbold’s Tower on the Grote Markt.
Amsterdam Zuid Station
Eurocity Direct operates from Amsterdam Zuid station rather than Amsterdam Centraal. Amsterdam Zuid is a business and residential district on the south flank of the city.
Amsterdam Zuid can easily be reached by public transport including Metro lines M52/M51/M50 and GVB tram 5.
For a comprehensive overview see our guide to Amsterdam Zuid station
There are a few food/drink outlets and restaurants in the area but note there is no rail lounge facility at Zuid.
Brussels Zuid/Midi station
Brussel Zuid/Bruxelles Midi station is a major hub for international trains with Eurostar services to London, Paris, Cologne and Amsterdam. There are TGV services to France and ICE services to Germany.
Brussels Zuid/Midi is perhaps not the nicest of Europe’s stations with the main concourse hall being a large tunnel-like passageway. Train platforms are on the upper level. There are a number of shops and food outlets around.
What are the other options for Amsterdam-Brussels rail travel?
Eurostar (formerly Thalys) runs a high-speed train service between Amsterdam Centraal and Brussels Zuid/Midi up to 15x daily. Most of the trains continue from Brussels to Paris Nord.
Journey time for Amsterdam-Brussels is 1 hour 50 minutes, slightly faster than the Eurocity Direct.
With its allocated seating, Eurostar fares are generally more expensive than Eurocity Direct and get more expensive closer to departure.
For Amsterdam-Brussels they range as follows: €29-€89 (Standard – 2nd class), €52-€103 (Plus – 1st class seat-only) and €106-€129 (Premier – 1st class seat and food).
EuroCity is a stopping Intercity service that operates 16x daily (from 15 Dec 2024) between Rotterdam Centraal and Brussels Zuid/Midi.
Total journey time for Rotterdam-Brussels will be 2 hours 7 minutes.
From Rotterdam the EuroCity makes stops at Breda (Netherlands), Noorderkempen (Belgium), Antwerp Central, Antwerp Berchem, Mechelen, Brussels Airport, Brussels North, Brussels Central before terminating at Brussels Zuid/Midi.
Trains will be the old Intercity Brussels rolling stock but slowly Belgian Rail i11 Intercity trains will be deployed.
Saver EuroCity fares for Rotterdam-Brussels are available one-way from €13.10 (2nd class) and €26.20 (1st class). Flexible fares are €32.70 (2nd class) and €52.30 (1st class).
Note, EuroCity tickets are not valid for travel on the Eurocity Direct!
History of Amsterdam-Brussels Train service
The track between Belgium and Netherlands (Roosendaal-Antwerp) was electrified in 1957 and a Benelux train service was started using Mat 54 hondekop trains.
In 1986 the Intercity service was introduced using Dutch carriages and a Belgian locomotive.
Following the construction of the HSL-Zuid high-speed line the Intercity was replaced in December 2012 by the FYRA. However, due to persistent problems with the V250 trains from AnsaldoBreda, the FYRA was discontinued after less than 2 months.
For more background see this article on Retours
Up to December 2024, the Intercity Brussels plied the route between Amsterdam and Brussels using the high speed track.
Amsterdam-Brussels EuroCity Direct: Summary
The Amsterdam-Brussels Eurocity Direct service provides a fast and comfortable way to travel between these cities. Book in advance to get the lowest saver fares – or choose the flex fare which is always available.
With children travelling for free it is an excellent option for family groups.
Book with NS International site or the Trainline site
Sources: our own trips have provided the main context in addition to info from NS and NMBS/SNCB.
This article was originally published on 16 November 2024.
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