Eurostar launches direct London‑Antwerp high‑speed service in December 2026

Starting on 14 December 2026, Eurostar will add a direct high‑speed rail connection between London St Pancras and Antwerp Central. Four daily trains will depart London at 06:16, 08:16, 11:04 and 18:04, reducing the journey time to about 2 hours 41 minutes, compared with the current 3 hours 15 minutes when travellers change at Brussels‑Midi. The new stop also means that four of the five London‑Amsterdam services each day will call at Antwerp, while the overall London‑Amsterdam travel time remains 4 hours 4 minutes. A return service from Antwerp to London is not planned yet because Antwerp station lacks dedicated UK border and customs facilities, so passengers must still change at Brussels‑South for north‑bound trips. Eurostar officials cited the missing border‑control area as the reason for the one‑way limitation.