SNCB International has issued a 26 September notice stating that all Eurocity Direct trains between Brussels and Amsterdam are terminating at Amsterdam Centraal instead of Amsterdam Zuid on 26 and 27 September because of track works on the Dutch high-speed line. Southbound services will also depart from Centraal and skip Schiphol Airport, while making an exceptional stop at Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena. The reroute lengthens journey times and removes the direct rail option from Brussels to one of Europe’s busiest airports, forcing air passengers to transfer to Dutch domestic trains between Centraal and Schiphol. NS has lifted ticket restrictions on those segments, but peak-hour capacity is tight. For mobility managers the key pain-point is missed connections: several evening Eurocity Direct trains feed intercontinental departures from Schiphol’s late-night bank. Travellers should build at least 60 minutes of extra transfer time and monitor platform changes in the NS app. The works highlight the sensitivity of Benelux cross-border services to infrastructure projects. A second phase on 3–4 October will divert both Eurocity and Eurocity Direct via Roosendaal and even suspend stops at Brussels-Airport in some cases, adding complexity for corporate flyers. SNCB International recommends checking the online planner before departure; timetable data in third-party journey-planners may not yet reflect the temporary pattern. Ticket change fees are waived, but only if rebooked on the same route within 24 hours.
Source: SNCB International
