Eurostar has announced it will offer services to Amsterdam from December 2016.

The service will run from London to Brussels, via the Eurotunnel route, before heading up to Amsterdam, making stops at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Central. Eurostar will be using its new e320 trains for the route, which are compatible with the high-speed signalling systems in the Netherlands.

Chief executive for Eurostar Nicolas Petrovic said: "Our fast, comfortable, point-to-point service will greatly enhance the links between the UK and the near continent, revolutionising travel between these important financial and tourist hubs."

Eurostar said this new development marks a "significant step forward" in its expansion into new destinations since becoming a singular business entity in 2010 - it was previously acting as a partnership between three rail companies. Last year it opened connections to southern France and the Swiss Alps.

The proposal is currently awaiting ratification from the Dutch government.