High-speed rail in the Netherlands

High-speed rail service in the Netherlands started in 2009 with the opening of the dedicated HSL-Zuid, which connects the Randstad via Brussels to the rest of the European high-speed rail network. In later years improved traditional rail sections were added to the high-speed network. Proposals for more dedicated high-speed lines were deemed too costly; plans for the HSL-Oost to Germany were mothballed and instead of the Zuiderzeelijn the less ambitious Hanzelijn was built to enable future high-speed service between the northern provinces and the Randstad.

As of 2025, four high-speed train services are operative in the Netherlands: Intercity Express (ICE), Eurostar, the Eurocity Direct and the domestic Intercity Direct which replaced the short-lived Fyra service was cancelled in 2013 after severe reliability issues.

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