Amsterdam and four other European cities are looking into the option of establishing a fast train link between the Dutch capital and Stockholm, the Leeuwarder Courant newspaper said on Friday.

Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki have all put the railway plan in their political agendas for the coming period, the paper said, and the five cities will meet in Hamburg in May to discuss the idea.

They have also approached a lobby company based in Brussels to promote the scheme within the EU, particularly with the aim of generating funding.

The EU is keen to expand and improve Europe’s international rail network to ensure that trains become a viable alternative to air travel.

Currently a trip to Stockholm by train from Amsterdam would take at least 22 hours and involve four changes.

Dutch railway company NS sold 13% more tickets for international trains this year, taking four million passengers to a foreign destination. The NS and Austrian rail company OBB are also planning to bring back the night train service from Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck and Vienna next winter.

A spokesman for the NS told DutchNews.nl that the journey between Amsterdam and Stockholm will be speeded up considerably in 2028 when the fast link between Hamburg and Copenhagen opens.

‘We are also looking at the options when it comes to links to northern Europe,’ he said. ‘Support from the different regions involved can give a real positive boost.’

DutchNews.nl has asked Amsterdam city council to comment on the report.