The tri state train will be up and running from December and it will connect three cities: Liège, Mastricht and Aachen. Of course, you can already take plenty of trains between the three countries but this particular train will run every hour.
It’s an idea led by the governments in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and it is part of a move to improve public transport between the three countries. The Dutch government said, in a press conference:
“The train connection connects the three border regions without transfer, making it easier for residents to take the train for work, school, family visits or recreation.”
As you probably already know, Maastricht is sandwiched between Germany and Belgium so it makes sense that there should be a train between the three countries that goes directly through the city. However, the real opportunity that this train will afford is the ability to connect with other trains directly in Liège and Aachen, where there are fantastic links to places like Paris.
It’s better for the environment too, to travel by train rather than taking short-haul flights. We hope that this new tri state train will improve travel between the three cities but it is currently surprisingly difficult to travel to Maastricht, even, from Amsterdam. The best route by train actually runs through Belgium.