International Rail | Connections and multimodality

Highlights from Our Day at Schiphol Airport: Advancing International Rail Connections and Multi-Modality

On Tuesday 5 November, we gathered at Schiphol Airport for an inspiring day focused on the future of international rail and multi-modal transportation. The event brought together government representatives, airport officials, rail carriers, and industry experts to share perspectives on transforming Europe’s transport landscape.

Morning Session: Government and City Perspectives

The day began with an exploration of government and city views on the future of rail. Wim van de Camp shared insights into the steps needed to strengthen international rail connections, followed by Erik Pasveer’s presentation on the Eurodelta and the growth of megaregions. Yvonne Boesten from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management highlighted the opportunities around hubs, capacity expansion, and open access. Representing Amsterdam, Thomas Straatemeier discussed the city’s vision to expand high-speed rail connections with other cities, a critical move for sustainable growth in the coming decades. Harro Homan moderated the discussion, sparking a lively exchange between speakers and the audience on Europe’s untapped potential to improve rail capacity and connectivity.

Afternoon Session: Airport Initiatives and Regional Connectivity

Following a networking lunch, the focus shifted to insights from major European airports. Thijs Boonekamp presented Schiphol Airport’s goal to become a sustainable, multi-modal hub, emphasizing the importance of shifting more passengers from air to rail. Clementine Petin then outlined Paris Airport’s ambitions to enhance air-rail intermodality and improve connections within the Paris region. Marja Ruigrok contributed her perspective on enhancing the Amsterdam-Schiphol region’s connectivity by expanding metro lines to make room for more international trains. Moderator Klaas Boersma led an engaging discussion on the need to streamline processes and improve integration, making air-rail solutions more appealing for passengers.

Final Session: Visions from Rail Carriers

The day concluded with a session featuring rail carriers’ visions for the future. Emmanuelle Scemama shared Eurostar’s ambition to grow to 30 million passengers across Europe, while Roemer van den Biggelaar presented Heuro’s plans to enter the rail market in the coming years. Elmer van Buuren highlighted European Sleeper’s next steps, focusing on new routes and enhanced carriage options. As in previous sessions, Klaas Boersma facilitated a dynamic discussion, with carriers expressing optimism about increased competition on European routes to improve customer experience and service. A shared vision emerged: collaboration over competition to strengthen rail’s position against other modes of transport.

Looking Ahead

Throughout the day, several key themes emerged: the need for greater government investment and vision, improved facilities and processes at airports, and assurance of capacity for rail carriers. The discussions underscored the collective commitment to advancing international rail and multi-modality in Europe.

We wrapped up with networking drinks, giving everyone a chance to connect and reflect. Our heartfelt thanks to Schiphol Airport and Klaas Boersma for making this event possible. Here’s to continued collaboration toward a more connected and sustainable European transport network!

For English see below.

Wat is de waarde van internationale verbindingen volgens overheden? Hoe kijken Europa, Nederland en Amsterdam naar de luchtvaart en spoorsector? En hoe kijken de sectoren naar elkaar? De gemeente Amsterdam wil haar internationale bereikbaarheid met grote Europese steden verbeteren. Zij presenteren hun plannen hoe zij dit willen bereiken.

We krijgen presentaties van luchthavens Schiphol en Parijs over air-rail en multimodaliteit; hoe integreren deze grote hub-luchthavens air-rail reizen? Hoe kijken zij naar de toekomst en wat is de rol van de spoorsector hierin?

Daarnaast geven enkele (jonge) vervoerders een pitch over hun doelen en uitdagingen en gaan zij met elkaar in gesprek over o.a. lange afstandstreinen in noordwest Europa en de mogelijkheden van air-rail.

De voertaal van deze dag is Engels.

Programma:

What is the value of international connections according to governments? How do Europe, the Netherlands, and Amsterdam view the aviation and rail sectors? And how do these sectors perceive one another? The city of Amsterdam aims to improve its international accessibility to major European cities. They will present their plans on how they intend to achieve this goal.

Presentations from Schiphol and Paris airports will cover air-rail integration and multimodality. How do these major hub airports integrate air-rail travel? What are their visions for the future? What role does the rail sector play in this development?

Some (young) rail operators will pitch their goals and challenges. They will engage in discussions on topics such as long-distance trains in northwest Europe and the potential for air-rail integration.

This event will be conducted in English.

Fotograaf: Matthew Bruno