Eurostar to Stop in Antwerp Starting December 2026
Eurostar high-speed rail services from London to Amsterdam will begin stopping at Antwerp’s Central Station from December 14, 2026, marking a significant improvement in cross-Channel rail connectivity for Belgium’s second-largest city and the wider Flemish region. The move, confirmed by Eurostar and reported by HLN, allows passengers from London to alight directly in Antwerp without needing to transfer at Brussels-South.
Background: A Long-Awaited Connection
The new stop follows years of advocacy from local officials and the recent closure of the Plopsa Station indoor theme park in January 2026, which freed up a large space at Antwerpen-Centraal. As VRT NWS reported in January, Antwerp mobility alderman Koen Kennis (N-VA) proposed using the vacant area for passport and security controls, potentially enabling full Eurostar service both to and from London.
Since the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, passengers traveling from mainland Europe to London must undergo passport and security checks before boarding. Antwerpen-Centraal currently lacks such infrastructure, which has prevented the station from serving as a stop on the London route despite Eurostar trains already passing through the city on their way to Amsterdam.
Service Details
Four of the five daily Eurostar services operating between London and Amsterdam will call at Antwerp, according to VRT NWS. The journey from London to Antwerp is expected to take approximately 2 hours and 41 minutes, significantly cutting the current travel time of around 3.5 hours that requires a change of trains at Brussels-South. Treinreiziger.nl notes a slightly shorter estimate of 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Tickets from London to Antwerp will start from approximately €58 — the same fare as a ticket to Amsterdam. Crucially, Eurostar has confirmed that the additional stop will not increase overall journey times on the London-to-Amsterdam route. All existing stops at Lille, Brussels-South, and Rotterdam will be retained.
The service from London will follow the route: London – Lille – Brussels-South – Antwerpen-Centraal – Rotterdam – Amsterdam.
One-Way Service for Now
The new Antwerp stop is one-directional initially. While passengers arriving from London can disembark at Antwerpen-Centraal, boarding in Antwerp for London-bound travel will not be possible due to the absence of border and security control facilities at the station. Eurostar has stated that there are currently no plans to establish such facilities, meaning passengers from Antwerp wishing to travel to London must continue to use Brussels-South for departure.
Political and Commercial Context
The development follows a proposal first made by Kennis in January 2026, who argued that the former Plopsa Station space — spanning a substantial area adjacent to the station — could house the necessary border control infrastructure. The NMBS (Belgian National Railways) launched a market consultation for the space in July 2026, as SpoorPro.nl reported. While Eurostar reportedly expressed support for the idea, NMBS had previously been hesitant to commit the necessary investment.
Implications for Antwerp and the Region
The addition of a direct Eurostar stop is expected to provide a significant boost to tourism and business travel between London and Antwerp. As Belgium’s largest port city and the capital of Flanders, Antwerp has long sought improved international rail connections. The new service strengthens the city’s position as a European business and cultural destination.
However, the asymmetrical nature of the service — benefiting inbound travelers from London more than outbound travelers from Antwerp — highlights the infrastructure challenges posed by post-Brexit border requirements. For Antwerp to become a full two-way Eurostar stop, NMBS would need to invest substantially in passport control and security screening facilities at Antwerpen-Centraal.
What to Watch For
The Antwerp stop is scheduled to become operational on December 14, 2026, with the new winter timetable. The future of the former Plopsa Station space remains under discussion, with NMBS’s market consultation likely to determine whether it becomes an international terminal or is repurposed for commercial use. Should border control facilities be established, a future expansion to bidirectional Eurostar service could follow, further integrating Antwerp into Europe’s high-speed rail network.