Dutchflyer
 | |
|
Map of the Dutch Flyer rail & sea route over the North Sea | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Main (s) | London, East Anglia, South Holland, North Holland |
| Parent company |
Abellio Greater Anglia Nederlandse Spoorwegen Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram Stena Line |
| Website | stenaline.co.uk |
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Dutchflyer is the name given in the UK to an integrated passenger service between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Formerly known as Amsterdam Express, Dutchflyer is a rail/sea/rail service operated jointly by Stena Line, the Dutch state railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Rotterdam metro and bus company Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram and NS’ UK subsidiary Abellio Greater Anglia.[1]
History
The Dutchflyer service is a successor to former boat trains such as the LNER's Hook Continental service, which operated between London and the Netherlands from 1927 to 1987.[2]
Originally, the Dutchflyer brand was only used to market the service to passengers starting in the UK,[3] while in the Netherlands the service was advertised as GoLondon.[4] Nowadays the Dutchflyer brand is not used so prominently and the service is sold through the Dutch Stena Line website.[5]
Booking
The Dutchflyer service lets passengers travel from any UK railway station served by Abellio Greater Anglia to Harwich International (formerly Parkeston Quay), cross the North Sea by Stena Line ferry, and continue, after arrival at Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands (or in the reverse direction). Trains to and from London and Cambridge are timed to meet the ferry.
Train services
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After arriving in Hoek van Holland, passengers disembark right into the railway station, from where there used to be a frequent rail service to Rotterdam Central Station. The Hoekse Lijn is currently being rebuilt to a Rotterdam Metro line, which means trains are temporarily replaced by buses. In Rotterdam passengers may change trains to go anywhere in the Netherlands. An example is shown in this table for a connection by rail from Hoek van Holland to Rotterdam and then to The Hague or Amsterdam, or stations in between.
| Operator | Train Type | Route | Rolling Stock | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abellio Greater Anglia | Local train | Manningtree – Harwich International | Class 321/Class 360 | 1 per hour |
| Abellio Greater Anglia | Boat train | London Liverpool Street – Harwich International | Class 321 | 4 per day |
| Abellio Greater Anglia | Boat train | Cambridge/Norwich/Bury St Edmunds/Ipswich – Harwich International | Class 170 | 3 per day |
| Stena Line | Ship | Harwich International harbour – Hoek van Holland harbour | Stena Hollandica Stena Britannica |
2 per day |
| Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram | Bus | Hoek van Holland Haven – Schiedam Centrum | – | 2 per hour |
| Nederlandse Spoorwegen | Intercity | Schiedam Centrum – Amsterdam Centraal | VIRM | 4 per hour |
| Nederlandse Spoorwegen | Intercity Direct | Rotterdam Centraal – Amsterdam Centraal | Traxx + ICR | 4 per hour |
See also
- Admiraal de Ruijter (London–Amsterdam, 1987–?)
- Benjamin Britten (London–Amsterdam, 1987–?)
- Eurostar (London–Paris)
- Regional Eurostar (Glasgow/Manchester–Paris, proposed)
- The Golden Arrow - London–Calais (1929–1972)
- Night Ferry (London–Paris/Brussels, 1936–1980)
- Venice-Simplon Orient Express (London–Paris–Rome)
Notes
- ↑ "Stena Line Dutch Flyer". Stena Line website. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ↑ Hughes, Geoffrey (1986). LNER. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 152. ISBN 0 711014280.
- ↑ "Dutchflyer website (now defunct)". Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ↑ "GoLondon website (now defunct)". Archived from the original on 28 May 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ↑ Dutch Stena Line website.