Twice-daily intercity trains to replace Fyra

Two direct train services a day between The Hague and Brussels will partly replace the suspended Fyra high-speed services, the DutchNews website reports. The service will start on February 18, leaving no direct connection between Brussels and Amsterdam, apart from the Thalys high-speed service, which is owned by the Belgian, French and German railways. The Dutch railway network is too congested to allow intercity trains from Amsterdam to Belgium, Dutch junior transport minister Wilma Mansveld (pictured) said. Passengers should either use the Thalys or take the Fyra service to Rotterdam (which uses a different type of train) and then pick up a connecting intercity service. The Belgian and Dutch railways, which jointly operate the Fyra service, say they hope to have solved the safety problems within the next three months. Fyra services were suspended after three trains were damaged by snow and ice during the cold snap. The new The Hague to Brussels intercity service will be stepped up to eight trains a day from March 11.