KLM is adding further rail capacity, with the airline purchasing additional seats from Thalys, between Amsterdam and Brussels.
KLM and Thayls together- Image, KLM.
The extra seats form part of KLM’s efforts to scale down its four daily flights still operated between Amsterdam and Brussels.
The extended air/rail product will be available from 26 March 2023.
This capacity expansion follows the KLM-Thalys pilot project (July to October 2022), when the airline replaced one of its daily flights between Amsterdam and Brussels with a rail service.
From 26 March, passengers who are transferring between Amsterdam and Brussels will enjoy more opportunities to travel by rail instead of air on this route, with the integrated air/rail product being offered on five different trains.
In Quotes
Boet Kreiken, Executive Vice President Customer Experience KLM
We’re proud to be expanding this air/rail product. We remain fully committed to ensuring a smooth customer journey, making the train an ever-better alternative to air on short‑haul routes in Europe. We’re working closely with our partners to achieve the necessary improvements for our customers.
Expanding the modal shift
Considering Amsterdam to Brussels is a mere 98 miles by Great Circle distance (112 miles), 204km by road or 1 hour 34 by Rail, it is one of the easiest centre-to-centre routes to shift its passengers from air to rail.
Whilst the eco-credentials are valid, it would also release slot pairs for more valuable and longer-distance services – other than feeder traffic from one capital to another.
And if you’ve been around this blog for any time, you will know I would much rather deal with a rail connection that made sense – rather than deal with the joy of airport and security theatre.
As further companies come together to identify other modal shifts that are both economic, logical and have minimal time impact (keeping in mind the tipping point between Rail and Air is about 3 hours of total travel time, where air becomes more efficient), more logical connections will need to be identified and forged to improve both ease and seamlessness of Air-Rail Travel.
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