Eurostar Amsterdam, Rotterdam Stops Canceled Mid December

Published on Dec 14, 2025, 8:55 am CST

5 min read

Key points

Eurostar says Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal stops are canceled on ES 9157 on December 15 to 19, 2025, plus December 22, 2025, and December 26, 2025
Eurostar cites planning constraints outside its control for the stop cancellations
Rail Europe advises affected passengers to board ES 9157 in Brussels Midi and use specific EuroCity and Eurocity Direct connections at no extra cost
Eurostar also warns that rolling operational restrictions can change train type and seating plans on affected services
Travelers should add buffer time for pre departure checks in Brussels and for station transfers within Amsterdam and Rotterdam

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Disruption risk is highest for Netherlands to London rail itineraries that rely on the late afternoon ES 9157 departure and same day onward connections
Best Times To Travel: If you can shift, travel on dates outside December 15 to 19, 22, and 26, 2025, or book earlier Netherlands to Brussels services to protect the London connection
Connections And Misconnect Risk: Treat Brussels Midi as a hard gate, build a long buffer for security and border checks, and avoid separate ticket onward plans in London that same evening
Ticket Changes And Refunds: If the reroute does not work for your schedule, prioritize fee free exchange options or a refund path through your booking channel
What Travelers Should Do Now: Confirm your train number and date, download fresh tickets close to travel day, and plan your Amsterdam or Rotterdam station transfer to the suggested Brussels connection

Eurostar 9157 Amsterdam Rotterdam stop cancellations are set for December 15 to 19, 2025, plus December 22, 2025, and December 26, 2025, cutting direct departures from Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal. Travelers booked on the late afternoon service to London St Pancras International, especially Christmas week passengers with fixed hotels, events, or flights on separate tickets, are most affected. Plan to reroute via Brussels, Belgium, download your ticket close to departure, and add extra time for border checks, platform changes, and tight station transfers.

The Eurostar 9157 Amsterdam Rotterdam stop cancellations mean Netherlands to London travelers must start from Brussels on those dates or rebook to different trains.

Eurostar's disruption notice says the train will not depart from Amsterdam Centraal or Rotterdam Centraal because of planning constraints outside the operator's control, and it publishes the affected date list as a confirmed service change for mid and late December. For travelers, the practical takeaway is that your booking may still show the London bound Eurostar service, but your usable boarding point shifts away from the Netherlands for those dates, which changes both timing and pre departure routines.

How It Works

London bound Eurostar journeys run through security screening and border controls before you board, and those checks happen at the departure station, not on arrival. That is why a same train number can still operate between Brussels and London while the Amsterdam and Rotterdam portions are removed, and why station arrival time matters more than on most intra Europe trains. Eurostar's Brussels Midi station guidance also notes that ticket gates close before departure, and you should arrive with enough time to complete the pre departure process.

What Eurostar says is affected

Eurostar's published list covers ES 9157 on December 15, 2025, December 16, 2025, December 17, 2025, December 18, 2025, December 19, 2025, December 22, 2025, and December 26, 2025, with Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal listed as canceled stops for that service. If you are traveling on any of those dates, treat this as a planned change, not a last minute delay scenario, and lock in your alternative routing now, because Christmas week rail inventory can tighten quickly once travelers start rebooking.

Alternative rail options to reach Brussels

Rail Europe, summarizing Eurostar's handling for this disruption, advises that affected passengers can keep their Eurostar ticket and board ES 9157 at Brussels Midi, with the Eurostar departure there shown as 652 p.m. The same Rail Europe advisory lists specific feeder trains that passengers can use to reach Brussels at no extra cost, including EuroCity 9240 from Rotterdam Centraal at 210 p.m., EuroCity 9244 from Rotterdam Centraal at 310 p.m., Eurocity Direct 9544 from Amsterdam Zuid at 204 p.m., and Eurocity Direct 9548 from Amsterdam Zuid at 304 p.m. It also notes Eurocity Direct 9544 from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) at 212 p.m., and Eurocity Direct 9548 from Schiphol at 3:12 p.m., and it explicitly flags that these Eurocity Direct trains do not call at Amsterdam Centraal, which matters for travelers who assumed they could simply stay on the same station footprint.

If you are starting in central Amsterdam, the simplest pattern is often to reposition to Amsterdam Zuid first, then take the Eurocity Direct to Brussels, rather than trying to work backward from a canceled Eurostar departure board at Amsterdam Centraal. NS International describes Eurocity Direct as a high frequency Amsterdam to Brussels service, which can be helpful if you decide to build extra buffer by taking an earlier departure than the recommended connections, especially on luggage heavy holiday trips.

Station transfer planning tips that actually reduce risk

The biggest failure mode on this kind of reroute is not the cross border ride itself, it is the compounded friction of local transfers plus the Brussels Channel Terminal process. If you are connecting from Amsterdam Centraal, plan your local transfer to Amsterdam Zuid with enough slack for metro disruptions, platform changes, and crowding. If you are starting at Schiphol, confirm whether your Eurocity Direct departs from the platforms you expect, because Schiphol's rail station can be busy during peak flight banks.

At Brussels Midi, treat the Eurostar portion as an airport like departure. You will need time to get from your incoming platform to the Eurostar departure area, clear security and border controls, and reach the gate before it closes. Eurostar's station guidance for Brussels Midi emphasizes arriving with enough time for pre departure checks, and it also notes that gates close ahead of departure, which is not a situation you want to test during a holiday crush.

Ticket changes, refunds, and seating plan surprises

Rail Europe's disruption guidance says affected passengers can exchange their booking for free or cancel for a refund, which is the right option when the Brussels start point breaks your schedule, your party cannot manage the transfer, or you have onward plans that become too risky with the new timing. Separately, Eurostar has also flagged rolling operational restrictions that can swap train types and, by extension, change seating plans on certain dates, which can matter for groups trying to sit together, travelers managing accessibility needs, and anyone relying on a specific seat selection. The safe play is to download or refresh your ticket close to travel day, then recheck car and seat details after any operational update posts.

Related coverage on Adept Traveler

For broader context on winter rail bottlenecks and border friction, see our report on Schengen Internal Border Checks Widespread In Late 2025, and our explainer on EU Entry Exit System Starts October 12: What To Expect. For a wider holiday week rail disruption picture, see Eurostar Christmas Week Service Cuts: Trains Canceled Dec 2025.