Which route does Eurostar take between Rotterdam and Amsterdam?

[flitwickbeds]

Travelling on Eurostar soon between London and Amsterdam and am curious which route it takes after departing Rotterdam towards Amsterdam Centraal?

Does the train continue in the same direction but turn immediately right towards Haarlem, entering Amsterdam Centraal from the west - or does it reverse in Rotterdam, turn left and approach Amsterdam from the south via Gouda?

 

[Mike395]

It takes the direct HSL (initially towards Haarlem briefly but then very quickly deviates onto the high speed line) between Rotterdam and Schiphol.

 

[DanielB]

Via Leiden (and then Haarlem or Schiphol) is only used occasionally when the HSL is closed.

No reversing needed to run via Gouda by the way, but that route is rarely used.

 

[Bemined]

And to answer the question from which side it arrives, after passing through Schiphol Airport it takes the west loop around Amsterdam via Sloterdijk in order to arrive at Amsterdam Centraal from the west. After the passengers left the train it continues empty to the Watergraafsmeer yard in the east of Amsterdam where the trains are cleaned and the security sweep is performed before the return journey.

Secured departures to London are only possible on platform 15 which is why when there is a diversion it typically goes via Leiden. The Paris bound trains do not need this check and are more easy to divert via Gouda when needed, but by default they will also go via Schiphol of course.

 

[Amalie]

And to answer the question from which side it arrives, after passing through Schiphol Airport it takes the west loop around Amsterdam via Sloterdijk in order to arrive at Amsterdam Centraal from the west. After the passengers left the train it continues empty to the Watergraafsmeer yard in the east of Amsterdam where the trains are cleaned and the security sweep is performed before the return journey.

Secured departures to London are only possible on platform 15 which is why when there is a diversion it typically goes via Leiden. The Paris bound trains do not need this check and are more easy to divert via Gouda when needed, but by default they will also go via Schiphol of course.

When the high speed line is closed, the fastest way to France will still be via Leiden in terms of routing. It would also allow them to still serve Schiphol. Eurostar, then Thalys, used to take that route before the high speed line was built in fact.

 

[DanielB]

In addition to that: in the past it was not really practical to divert Eurostar to London via Gouda as that would have lead to the security cleared part being at the wrong side in Rotterdam and Brussels (from Watergraafsmeer yard it needs to reverse in Amsterdam to go via Gouda).

Not sure if they still only fill half of the train since the new terminal in Amsterdam opened however.

 

[Bemined]

When the high speed line is closed, the fastest way to France will still be via Leiden in terms of routing. It would also allow them to still serve Schiphol. Eurostar, then Thalys, used to take that route before the high speed line was built in fact.

It depends on where the disruption is. When it is the northern part of the high speed line itself that is closed they divert via Leiden indeed, but when the disruption is at Schiphol itself trains from Paris seem to be diverted via Gouda by default while the ones from London go via Haarlem.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Thanks all.

My main question for asking was to try and work out whether, on the journey in, we might see any of the tulip fields around Lisse. Part of our trip involves a visit to Keukenhof and we're unsure whether or not to then spend some time exploring the fields or whether we will be too early in the season (Mar 30-Apr 3 are our dates, which I know is slightly early, but depends on how mild it is for the next few weeks).

My logic was, if we could see them from the train on the way in, we could decide whether or not to spend extra time away from the city on the day we visit Keukenhof, or whether to book another activity in the city that afternoon!

 

[DanielB]

You should be able to see at least some of the tulip fields from the high speed line as Nieuw Vennep (where it merges with the Leiden - Schiphol line) is still within the area where flower bulb cultivation takes place. Though most of the colorful fields are found around the Leiden - Haarlem line.

 

[citycat]

Living in Woerden, I really wish Eurostar was routed via Gouda. It would make a welcome break from the endless Sprinters and Intercity VRM's etc that pass through.

 

[Mike395]

In addition to that: in the past it was not really practical to divert Eurostar to London via Gouda as that would have lead to the security cleared part being at the wrong side in Rotterdam and Brussels (from Watergraafsmeer yard it needs to reverse in Amsterdam to go via Gouda).

Not sure if they still only fill half of the train since the new terminal in Amsterdam opened however.

Amsterdam can now load all 16 carriages; Rotterdam’s platform still only has half the train in the secured end of the platform but that could be accounted for if the diversion via Gouda was pre-planned. I suspect the need for a reversal makes it a challenge still though.

 

[nwales58]

My main question for asking was to try and work out whether, on the journey in, we might see any of the tulip fields around Lisse. Part of our trip involves a visit to Keukenhof …

Best view of Lisse and Keukenhof is arriving at Schipol on runway 06!