Eurostar (www.eurostar.com), the cross-channel high-speed rail service linking the UK with mainland Europe, recently announced that its new direct route from London to Amsterdam will be launched on Wednesday 4 April.

Tickets went on sale on 20 February — the same day a publicity journey took place.

The new service will allow passengers to travel from St Pancras in London to Amsterdam in just 3hr, at speeds up to 300kph.

With over 4 million passengers travelling by air every year between these two cities, the market is the same size as it was for the London to Paris Eurostar service launched in 1994.

Since then, the market for train travel between London and Paris has more than doubled.

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said: “The launch of our service to the Netherlands heralds a new era in international high-speed rail.

“With direct services from the UK to the Netherlands, France and Belgium, we are transforming the links between the UK and three of Europe’s top trading nations.

“Our new route marks the culmination of the extensive investment in high-speed rail on both sides of the Channel.”