Eurostar is launching a new direct route between the UK and Belgium from December.
Rail travellers will be able to book direct journeys from London St Pancras to Antwerp-Centraal from December 14. Up to four trains a day, which already run between London and Amsterdam, will introduce the direct connection with existing stops at Lille-Europe, Brussels-Midi, Rotterdam-Centraal and Amsterdam-Centraal.
Outward only due to customs
However, the route will only be direct on the outward leg from London due to customs and border issues.
According to Eurostar, there are no current plans to introduce a direct return service from Antwerp to London as “this would require dedicated UK border and customs facilities at Antwerp-Centraal”.
Eurostar statement
Eurostar said: “Adding Antwerp as a direct stop on our London-Amsterdam services will make journeys to the city quicker and more convenient, providing customers with a more comfortable city centre to city centre travel experience.”
Record passenger numbers
Eurostar reached a historic milestone across its five-country network in January, carrying 400 million customers since services began in 1994.
The achievement follows a record 2025, with 20 million customers choosing to travel with Eurostar, an increase of 500,000 passengers.
