Eurostar will introduce direct services from London St Pancras International to Antwerp-Central Railway Station from 14 December 2026, eliminating the need for passengers travelling from the United Kingdom to change trains in Brussels-South.
The new service, discovered by Head For Points, will see (some) London to Amsterdam Central Station stop in Antwerp, offering a journey time of 2 hours and 41 minutes. The train tickets are already on sale, with one-way fares starting from £51 or €58.
The direct departures from London are scheduled at 06:16, 08:16, 11:04 and 18:04, arriving in Antwerp at 09:57, 11:57, 14:57 and 21:57 respectively.
Return journeys still require a change in Brussels
While the new timetable simplifies travel from London to Antwerp, passengers travelling in the opposite direction will still need to change trains in Brussels.
Because Antwerp-Central does not have the UK border control and security facilities required for departures to Great Britain, travellers must leave the train at Brussels-South to complete immigration, customs and security checks before boarding a London-bound Eurostar service. As a result, the journey from Antwerp to London will continue to take around 3 hours and 30 minutes.
A Eurostar spokesperson told Head For Points: “Customers travelling from Antwerp to London can book a combined NMBS / SNCB and Eurostar ticket on eurostar.com, connecting via Brussels-Midi where UK border and security checks take place. There are currently no plans to introduce direct services from Antwerp to London, as this would require dedicated UK border and customs facilities at Antwerp-Central.”
The new direct London–Antwerp trains further strengthen rail links between Belgium‘s second-largest city and the UK, offering a faster and more convenient option for business and leisure travellers heading to Antwerp, while the lack of outbound UK border facilities means direct return services remain impossible for the time being.
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