THE treaty allowing full customs and security procedures for Eurostar passengers at Amsterdam and Rotterdam has been formally signed, said the Department for Transport.

The first demonstration train for invited London-bound guests which avoided the need for a change of train at Brussels ran on 4 February, and at the time it was hoped that full through services from the Netherlands to Britain could start on 30 April.

These plans were frustrated by the coronavirus pandemic, and no trains ran on the Amsterdam and London route in either direction for several weeks, although a limited service has now restarted.

The treaty signed by the UK, France and Belgium in 1993 has now been modified to include the Netherlands. Representatives from all four countries signed the new agreements at a ceremony in Brussels yesterday.

The existing model of “juxtaposed border checks” has now been extended to the Netherlands, and Eurostar passengers can now be taken through Dutch outgoing and British incoming procedures before they board the train, saving time on arrival in London. UK Border Force officials will be stationed at the central stations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.