Flix, the company behind the bright-green FlixBus network, aims to introduce long-distance train services in the Netherlands and promises competitive prices to attract passengers. CEO André Schwämmlein says the firm is expanding FlixTrain across Europe and intends to include the Dutch main network in the coming years. The move would bring a new private competitor to routes now dominated by Dutch Railways (NS).
New fleet and timelines
To support expansion, Flix has arranged up to €2.4 billion in fresh funding and placed a large order for brand-new long-distance trains from Spanish builder Talgo: 65 trainsets capable of up to 230 km/h. Flix says the new stock will be approved to run in multiple European countries, including the Netherlands. Deliveries are slated to begin from 2027, with earlier units and refurbished stock covering interim growth.
While Flix has not confirmed exact Dutch routes, past filings and public statements point to cross-border links that connect Germany with major Dutch cities. One earlier concept was a service to Rotterdam via Arnhem and Utrecht; today, Dutch travellers can only reach FlixTrain by first taking a regional train to the German border, then changing onto a FlixTrain service. The company says Dutch services would be “considerably cheaper” than existing offers, mirroring its pricing in Germany.
The regulatory hurdle: access and capacity
Even with rolling stock and funding, two practical issues remain: access rights and train paths. The Dutch main network (HRN) is under an exclusive public concession awarded to NS through 2033, but “open-access” operators can apply to run additional services if they pass an economic equilibrium test (to ensure they don’t unfairly undermine the concession). Applications are reviewed by the Dutch market regulator ACM, and track manager ProRail allocates the actual time slots. Recent rule changes allow ProRail limited flexibility to shift competing requests by a few minutes to fit more trains, but capacity on busy corridors is tight.
Flix previously explored a twice-daily service but said the proposed path was unusable during heavy construction works; its trains would have had to give way multiple times to NS intercity services, leading to poor punctuality. With major works still ongoing across the network, gaining reliable paths at attractive times remains a key risk to any launch.
Photo Credits: © Flix SE
What competition could mean for travellers
If FlixTrain secures paths, Dutch travellers could see:
Lower fares on long-distance routes as operators compete on price. Flix points to routes like Amsterdam–Berlin (today served via a FlixBus–FlixTrain combo) as examples of its pricing strategy.
New direct links to German cities, potentially with multiple daily departures in timetable “patterns” similar to those Flix runs domestically in Germany.
Modern trains with long-distance comfort; Talgo’s units are designed for high-speed corridors and quick boarding, which can help improve reliability.
However, benefits depend on getting enough track capacity during peak travel times. Without that, services may be too infrequent or too slow to change traveller habits.
Across Europe, more countries are opening parts of their rail networks to competition, especially on international and long-distance routes. The Netherlands is moving cautiously: NS keeps the core concession, while open-access services can be added if they meet regulatory tests and fit within limited capacity. For FlixTrain, the path to Dutch operations runs through those two gates: ACM’s approval and ProRail’s timetable.
