A new Dutch international railway company, GoVolta, will start operating direct intercity trains from Amsterdam to Hamburg and Berlin in 2026. The operator is focusing on affordable international train travel, with guaranteed seats, clear comfort classes and a lounge carriage on board. From December 2026, a daily connection between Amsterdam and Paris will also be added.

According to co-founder Maarten Bastian, many travellers still choose the plane or car because international train travel is often expensive or complicated. GoVolta wants to change that, with a budget train to Berlin, fixed seating and the option to book complete city trips including hotel accommodation directly.

New budget train to Berlin and Hamburg

The first budget train to Berlin departs on 19 March 2026. The Hamburg connection starts one day later, on 20 March 2026.

From launch, GoVolta will operate:

• Amsterdam – Berlin: three times per week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)
• Amsterdam – Hamburg: three times per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)

From summer 2026, both routes are expected to operate daily.

The budget train to Berlin stops in Amersfoort, Deventer, Hengelo, Bad Bentheim, Osnabrück and Hanover along the way. The budget train to Hamburg stops in Amersfoort, Deventer, Hengelo, Bad Bentheim and Bremen.

From December 2026, the network will be expanded with a daily budget train to Paris.

Tickets starting at €10

The GoVolta budget train to Berlin is truly budget, with tickets available from just €10 one-way in the lowest fare category. In practice, travellers will need a lot of luck to secure such a low fare, but for the Amsterdam – Berlin route, GoVolta expects an average ticket price of around €30 one-way. Currently, this route costs at least €46 with Deutsche Bahn.

According to co-founder Hessel Winkelman, many travellers currently experience international train travel as expensive and unclear. With GoVolta, the booking process should become simpler, including guaranteed seating and direct connections.

Two comfort classes and extra options

There will be two comfort classes on board:

• Economy Class with comfortable seats in open-plan carriages
• Comfort Class with extra space and a 2-1 seating layout, aimed at working or relaxing

In addition, GoVolta offers an XL Duo Seat upgrade in Economy Class, allowing travellers to reserve an extra seat opposite them at a reduced rate. Naturally, this upgrade or extra comfort comes with a higher price, but GoVolta also wants to offer these travellers an affordable option compared to competitors.

Every traveller will automatically receive a reserved seat.

Lounge carriage and luggage rules

Each train consists of eleven carriages with approximately 820 seats in total.

GoVolta also offers:

• a lounge carriage with drinks, snacks and light meals
• a seat map allowing travellers to choose their own seat
• fixed luggage rules, with two pieces of hand luggage included as standard

Larger or additional luggage can be added in advance.

Plans for more budget trains in Europe

With the new connections, GoVolta wants to make budget trains in Europe possible as an alternative to short and medium-haul flights and car journeys between the Netherlands, Germany and France.

In addition to Hamburg, Berlin and Paris, expansion options have also been submitted to the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) for possible connections to Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, Bruges and Basel.

According to Hessel Winkelman, the aim is to make international train travel in Europe just as simple and affordable as flying.

GoVolta was founded by Maarten Bastian and Hessel Winkelman, both of whom have experience in the travel industry and international train travel.