Arriba eyes daily trains to Paris – Northern Times

Ariba Holland challenged the current NS monopoly, RTV Noord, by applying for the right to operate the first ‘open access’ international train between Groningen and Paris. report.

Deutsche Bahn’s subsidiary said it submitted an application to the Consumers and Markets Authority on June 8, stating that it was considering operating trains during times when NS does not currently offer service. Arriva plans to connect Groningen with Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels and Paris from June 2026. The southbound train is scheduled to leave Groningen at 05:30 and arrive in Paris at 10:40. The return flight leaves Paris at 19:15 and arrives in Groningen around 00:30. Daytime flights between Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris are also planned.

If approved, the plan could provide rail links between the northern Netherlands and major European cities, as well as a stop at Schiphol Airport, which could facilitate air and rail connections.

Arriba said it views Groningen as an important transport hub and stressed that the proposed train could compete with air travel between major European cities. “We want to have more international train connections. After all, they have a key role to play in supporting the sustainability agenda. There will be a lot of people, but why not Groningen?” Nikki Smit, a spokesman for the railway operator, told Radio Noord yesterday.

Ariba said it filed the application ahead of the June 10 deadline for government applications to operate an international open access service in the Netherlands. The company added that it would bear all costs and risks associated with the service without government concessions or subsidies. In the future, we plan to submit service applications to Belgium and France from other provinces of the Netherlands.

At present, traveling from Groningen to Paris by train takes over 6 hours with connections in Leeuwarden, Zwolle and Schiphol. There are currently no direct trains connecting the north of the Netherlands with the French capital. Tickets vary by day, but generally range from 126 to 158 euros. Sumit couldn’t say how much the tickets would cost. “I hope we can beat our competitors. We can expect our pricing to be competitive,” she said.

Earlier this year, Arriba began operating regular night trains between the Groningen and Randstad regions. The new service will fill a major gap in the country’s growing night train network, with trains operated by Arriba en route between Groningen and Schiphol Airport, stopping in Assen, Zwolle, Lelystad, Almere and Amsterdam South. .