Dutchflyer is 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 and its UK subsidiary Greater Anglia, and the Rotterdam metro and bus company Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram.[1]
 | |
 Map of the Dutch Flyer rail & sea route over the North Sea | |
| Main region(s) | London, East Anglia, South Holland, North Holland |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Greater Anglia Nederlandse Spoorwegen Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram Stena Line |
| Other | |
| Website | www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail |
History
The Dutchflyer service is a successor to former boat trains such as the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) 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 as 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 Greater Anglia to Harwich International (formerly Parkeston Quay), and then cross the North Sea by Stena Line ferry. Before March 2022, the ticket also included the journey after arrival at Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands (or in the reverse direction): since then, the ticket for the Dutch rail portion has to be purchased separately.
Train services
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Trains to and from London and Cambridge are timed to meet the ferry.
After arriving in Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland), passengers disembark across from the station of the Rotterdam Metro, slightly moved from the historical railway station. The metro connects to train stations at Schiedam Centrum railway station, Rotterdam Blaak railway station, and Rotterdam Alexander railway station, all of which feature intercity services to many destinations in the Netherlands. An example is shown in this table for a connection by metro from Hook of Holland to Schiedam and then to The Hague or Amsterdam, or stations in between.
| Operator | Train Type | Route | Rolling Stock | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Anglia | Local train | Manningtree – Harwich International | Class 720 | 1 per hour |
| Greater Anglia | Boat train | London Liverpool Street – Harwich International | Class 720 | 4 per day |
| Greater Anglia | Boat train | Cambridge/Lowestoft – Harwich International | Class 755 | 2 per day |
| Stena Line | Ship | Harwich International harbour – Hook of Holland harbour | Stena Hollandica Stena Britannica | 2 per day |
| Rotterdam Metro Line B | Metro | Hoek van Holland Haven – Schiedam Centrum | Bombardier Flexity Swift | 3 per hour |
| Nederlandse Spoorwegen | Intercity | Schiedam Centrum – Den Haag Hollands Spoor - Amsterdam Centraal | VIRM | 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)