On May 1, 2022, Eurostar Group was formed from the merger of Eurostar and Thalys, ushering in a new era for cross-border train travel. As Europe seeks to expand high-speed rail to advance its climate goals, Eurostar plays a central role by offering 28 high-speed connections between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK, linking city centers and connecting routes.
In the Netherlands, Eurostar, together with its partner NS, operates one of its fastest-growing routes, the Amsterdam-London connection. But their operations are under threat. The ongoing PHS renovation project at the listed-grade Amsterdam Centraal station, combined with much-needed maintenance works on the high-speed rail network, disrupts Eurostar’s operations and poses challenges to the future of international routes. On a broader scale, Eurostar advocates for a level playing field between the air and rail industries and seeks stronger political support to promote sustainable transport in Europe.
With thousands of passengers using Amsterdam Centraal station daily, and the general ambition to provide low carbon travel to 30 million passengers by 2030, the stakes are high to protect and maintain the best conditions to operate Eurostar routes in the Netherlands, underscoring the need for ongoing and close public affairs engagement with relevant economic and political stakeholders.
The Dutch approach to policy-making and public affairs engagement is characterized by its focus on consensus and coalition-building. Although the Netherlands is a small country, finding your way in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders and decision-makers can be an arduous task. The relatively flat political structure further complicates identifying where the true decision-making power lies.
For a foreign company—or one perceived as such—the challenges can be even greater. Teaming up with well-informed local advisors can make a difference. The scale of the challenges faced by Eurostar and their potential impact on their Dutch operations called for heightened engagement with domestic stakeholders, including national and local governments, parliamentarians, and industry associations.
To address these challenges, Hague assisted in arranging several rounds of top-level introductory meetings and follow-up discussions for Eurostar Group’s CEO, Gwendoline Cazenave, and her Public Affairs team, with key stakeholders. These include relevant ministers and civil servants at the IW (Infrastructure and Water Management) and JV (Justice and Security) ministries, the Parliamentary Committee on IW responsible for rail, as well as VNO-NCV (the Dutch Employers’ Federation), NBTC (Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions), travel association Rover, and pertinent embassies. Engagement has also been facilitated at a high level with infrastructure partner ProRail
The primary objectives of this engagement were to strengthen Eurostar’s position within various levels of decision-making (government and Parliament) in the Netherlands, to ensure that its interests are well communicated and acknowledged. This approach also aimed to improve intelligence gathering and deeper understanding of the political dynamics in a timely manner to act effectively on it.
Although many issues are still being resolved, Eurostar’s position on most matters is now clearly communicated to the relevant parties. Key contacts have been established, and communication and knowledge sharing are ongoing. The challenge of connecting operational and strategic levels has been addressed, creating effective platforms for both internal and external communication.
We are happy to help you with our services:
