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.
Dutch policymaking and public affairs focus heavily on consensus-building and coalition formation. While the Netherlands is a small country, its political landscape is complex, with many stakeholders and decision-makers. The flat structure of decision-making makes it difficult to identify the true sources of power.
For foreign companies, or those perceived as such, the challenges are often even greater. Local, well-informed advisors frequently make the difference. Eurostar faced significant challenges that directly impacted its operations in the Netherlands. As a result, more intensive engagement with domestic stakeholders, such as national and local governments, parliamentarians, and industry associations, was essential.
Hague organized several high-level introductory meetings and follow-up discussions for Eurostar’s CEO, Gwendoline Cazenave, and her Public Affairs team. They met with ministers and officials from the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) and Justice and Security (J&V), the Parliamentary Committee for I&W (responsible for railways), VNO-NCW (the employers’ federation), NBTC (Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions), the passenger association Rover, and various embassies. There was also intensive contact with ProRail, Eurostar’s infrastructure partner.
The main goal was to strengthen Eurostar’s position within the various decision-making levels in the Netherlands. This would ensure better communication of their interests. At the same time, the information-gathering process was enhanced, providing deeper insight into the political dynamics. This allowed Eurostar to respond quickly and effectively to developments.
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.
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