Starting December 14, Eurostar trains from London will also stop in Antwerp. Eurostar trains traveling in the opposite direction – from the mainland to London – will not stop in Antwerp because border and security checks cannot be conducted there. British passport control takes place at Brussels-South.

The direct connection is especially convenient for those who want to travel directly from London to Antwerp. It saves travelers a good 50 minutes.

Travel time of 2h41

The Eurostar trains already pass through Antwerp, but do not stop there. Starting December 14, however, they will stop there four times every weekday between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. On Saturdays, there are two direct trains; on Sundays, three.

The stops in Lille, Brussels-South, and Rotterdam on that route will also remain. The additional stop in Antwerp will not increase travel time, precisely because the train must slow down anyway for the narrow tunnel under the city.

The direct London-Antwerp connection will take 2 hours and 41 minutes, compared to 3 hours and 30 minutes now, with a transfer at Brussels-South.

On the Eurostar website, travelers can purchase a combined NMBS/SNCB and Eurostar ticket for the route between Antwerp and London, with a transfer at Brussels-South to undergo the necessary security checks.

No plans for border and security checks in Antwerp

Ever since Eurostar began operating, border and security checks have been conducted before departure rather than upon arrival.

If you’re traveling from the mainland to London, you’ll go through both the French/Belgian exit checks, or Schengen exit, and the British entry checks, or passport control by UK Border Force, in Brussels/Paris/Lille, as well as a security check with baggage screening, just like at an airport. Only then can you board the train.

If you’re traveling from London to the mainland, the same thing happens, but in reverse. According to Eurostar, there are no plans for border and security checks in Antwerp today.

Recently, Antwerp’s alderman for mobility, Koen Kennis (N-VA), advocated setting up passport control at Antwerp Central Station in the space vacated by the closure of Plopsa Station, precisely because this would allow it to become a fully-fledged departure terminal for the Eurostar to London.