Since last year, several exciting projects for new and faster train connections have been announced. First, the night train operator European Sleeper attracted attention when it revived the night train connection between Berlin and Paris. Shortly afterwards, Deutsche Bahn announced new high-speed lines to be built by 2030 – and high-speed trains with halved travel times are even planned for 2040. But what about the prices for international train travel? Is anything happening here too, so that we don’t have to dig so deep into our pockets? The answer is yes, and we have good news for you. GoVolta, a new private railway company from the Netherlands, is entering the scene. Based in Breda, the company wants to establish a low-cost model for international train travel, similar to low-cost airlines in air travel.
Photo: Tomas Anton Escobar / Unsplash
GoVolta’s idea is a low-cost concept for train travel: very cheap tickets, a simple booking system, a guaranteed seat, and deliberately reduced additional services to keep costs low. That’s why the company is often referred to as the “easyJet of rail” – in reference to the low-cost airline easyJet. The launch is planned for March 19, 2026. The first route will connect Amsterdam with Berlin. Just one day later, on March 20, 2026, the second connection between Amsterdam and Hamburg is set to follow. The connection to Berlin will initially run three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. From summer 2026, the plan is to operate the route daily.
Photo: Benjamin Genz / Unsplash
The train will not run non-stop, but will stop in several cities along the route. The planned route is: Amsterdam – Amersfoort – Deventer – Hengelo – Bad Bentheim – Osnabrück – Hanover – Berlin. This makes the connection slower than an ICE train, but significantly cheaper. The journey takes about 6 hours and 30 minutes to Berlin and around 7 hours and 45 minutes to Amsterdam. By comparison, the journey takes about 5 hours and 40 minutes on Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity-Express. The main difference is the price: tickets are expected to be available from as little as €10. However, additional services such as seat selection, luggage or other services may incur extra costs.