New rail deal aims to speed up Amsterdam-Berlin trains

A new German-Dutch rail agreement aims to bring faster and more frequent trains between Amsterdam and major German cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt. However, the agreement does not confirm any new services or timetable changes, meaning passengers may have to wait years for improvements.

Germany and the Netherlands outline plans for better rail links

German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger and Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Annet Bertram outlined their shared rail ambitions in a declaration signed in Berlin on November 10.

According to the Dutch government, the main focus is on routes connecting Amsterdam with Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt. Improving these connections could also make onward journeys to cities such as Copenhagen, Warsaw, Prague, Basel and Vienna easier.

The two countries also want to encourage competition by making it easier for new train operators to enter the international rail market. Alongside passenger services, the agreement covers improvements to freight transport and railway infrastructure.

Faster cross-border trains still have no confirmed timetable

Passengers hoping for quicker, more frequent trains are unlikely to see changes any time soon. The agreement does not specify when additional trains will start running or how much journey times could be reduced. Railway infrastructure managers ProRail and DB InfraGO will first work together to identify obstacles and develop plans.

Bertram acknowledged that increasing train frequencies would not be straightforward. "Demand isn't the problem, speed is," she told Dutch public broadcaster NOS. She said she would like to see several trains per hour to Berlin or Frankfurt within 10 to 15 years, although this remains an ambition rather than a confirmed timetable.

Ongoing construction work has already reduced the number of direct trains between Amsterdam and Berlin to four per day, with services diverted via Hamburg. The disruption is expected to last from October 2026 to December 2027, including a full closure of the Lehrte–Fallersleben section between February and July 2027, according to NOS. The two governments will hold annual meetings to review progress, while railway working groups develop the plans further.

This article originally appeared on IamExpat in the Netherlands.