Dutch railroad company NS carried passengers on a new intercity train between Amsterdam and Rotterdam for the first time Wednesday. The intention is to use that new Intercity New Generation (ICNG) later between Amsterdam and Brussels. NS reported this in a press release. The new trains would allow you to track half an hour faster between the two cities in 2024.

NS calls the debut of the new Intercity between Amsterdam and Rotterdam a “final rehearsal”. “By actually driving with passengers in the timetable, NS is testing how the train performs in practice. Based on this, the French train manufacturer Alstom can solve growing pains and improve further.”

NS has ordered 99 units of the ICNG train, which can travel up to 200 km/hour. Twenty will also be allowed to operate in Belgium on the Brussels-Amsterdam connection, the so-called Intercity Brussels or Benelux train. It is expected that NS can start testing in the timetable during 2024, and the first passengers can board then.

After the Amsterdam – Rotterdam and Amsterdam – Brussels routes, The Hague – Eindhoven, Amsterdam – Groningen/Leeuwarden, and Amsterdam – Enschede routes will follow.

Half-hour gain

The new trains, dubbed “The Wasp” because of their design and color scheme, can run faster than current trains between the Netherlands and Belgium, which reach 160 km/hour. That should help reduce travel time between Amsterdam and Brussels by half an hour, making the travel time 2h22. From Antwerp, that then becomes 1h21 instead of 1h151.

According to Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper, NS has long-term plans to connect Brussels to Düsseldorf via Antwerp and Eindhoven. The last part of this router will be put into service in 2026.

Surfing on trains in Belgium becomes easier

In Belgium, using the Internet on the train connections between smaller cities will become a little easier. According to the newspaper La Capitale, the Belgian Minister of Telecommunications Petra De Sutter (Groen) has released 11 million euros to improve the Internet connection in the train on the links between small towns or municipalities.

Telecom operators are already forced to provide mobile Internet on the 15 busiest lines in Belgium, mainly between large cities. However, this obligation does not exist for less important connections.