Eurostar will run more direct trains between London and the Netherlands to meet growing demand, the company has announced.

A fourth daily weekday service will operate in both directions between London St Pancras International and Amsterdam via Brussels and Rotterdam from September 5.

The extra service from London will depart at 6.16am, with journey times of around three hours and 15 minutes for Rotterdam and just under four hours for Amsterdam.

Many airline passengers flying to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport have suffered disruption in recent months, with thousands of flights cancelled due to staff shortages.

Els Buzzi, head of the Amsterdam route at Eurostar, said: “The ever-growing demand for high-speed trains between the Netherlands and the UK shows that both business and leisure travellers appreciate the convenience and comfort of travelling by Eurostar.

“The fourth service will give our customers even more choice and flexibility when planning their journey, safe in the knowledge that Eurostar is the greener way to go from city centre to city centre.”

In May last year, Eurostar secured a £250 million rescue package from shareholders – including French state rail company SNCF – and banks.

That was six months after the company warned it was “fighting for its survival against a 95% drop in demand” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It operated just two return services a day for several months before starting to ramp up its operations in May 2021.

It now runs up to 39 daily services, mostly between London and Paris.