Fyra high-speed service now extended to Breda (Netherlands)
Fyra* high-speed services in Netherlands have now been extended to Breda, in Southern Netherlands. The line itself had been completed in 2008 and has seen Thalys zapping at 280km/h en-route to Antwerpen, Bruxelles and Paris. However, until now Fyra* trains were not able to use the Rotterdam-Breda sector because of magnetic interference problems and other issues.
Note (*) that these are not the proper V250 Fyra trains whose delivery from Ansaldo-Breda faces a 3-year delay, but instead replacement trains using Traxx locos and IC renovated stock. The V250 are expected to enter service in December 2011.
Since April 4th, 2011, half-hourly (hourly after 21h) trains have been running. Breda-Amsterdam Centraal trip via Rotterdam Centraal and Schiphol now takes 1h04 without connections.
Supplements are waived this month for the Breda-Rotterdam sector, and reduced supplements for the remainder of the route (€ 2,70 Rotterdam-Amsterdam, € 2,00 Rotterdam-Schiphol) applies.
When the V250 enters service, travel times will be further cut: 19 minutes Schiphol-Rotterdam, 20 minutes Breda-Rotterdam, 14 minutes Schiphol-Amsterdam.
By then, IC Brussels will be terminated, and so will be direct Rotterdam-Amsterdam IC services on the longer classic line. It is reported they will cut services requiring change of trains in Den Haag or Leiden if one wants to travel on the old line.
As from now, many IC Brussels have been shortened to Rotterdam: there are many late trains (IC Brussels are aging and past their expected service life) that are cut in Rotterdam as not to compound delays and further disrupt the networks, cases in which passengers to/from Amsterdam and Schiphol can use Fyra to complete their journey free of charge.