It’s a Friday, it’s sunny, and nothing could possibly go wrong today… right? Wrong, say the NS and ProRail.

We apologise in advance to all commuters, but the NS expects “significant adjustments” to the timetable on various rail routes around Schiphol today.

Just how significant is “significant”? Well, as a ProRail spokesperson tells the NOS, around one hundred trains will be cancelled between the hours of 5:20 AM and 3:15 PM.

As such, this timetable adjustment will not only affect Schiphol, but almost the entire Randstad, too.

But… why?

The reason for this Friday morning mess? Rail work, of course.

Over the past two weeks, ProRail has been renewing some tracks around Schiphol Airport.

Among other things, the workers have replaced switches in the railway tunnel and checked the lighting and technical installations to make sure everything works smoothly.

This is all part of bigger renovation work being done on the Schiphol tunnel.

The only problem? Since no trains have run over the tracks for the past two weeks, ProRail cannot immediately let normal trains run over them.

Instead, they’ll need to remove the rust from the rails — and that’s what’s happening today.

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It’s official: Dutch train troubles will continue as forecasted, with ongoing inconveniences expected to last for YEARS to come.

Oh, and if you’re planning any days out in Amersfoort this summer, you might want to think again. More on that later.

Big project, big consequences

As part of joint renovation works by ProRail and the NS, various Dutch rail routes are due for work over the coming years.

Huge expanses of track are being replaced, and the resulting disruptions for passengers are major.

As ProRail CEO John Voppen tells NU.nl, “after forty years, everything has to be replaced” — and the peak of work will take a whopping six years to occur.

READ MORE | NS unveils massive timetable change for 2025

Why so long? The delays are mainly down to staff shortages, meaning more work has to be carried out during the day and outside of holidays.

Oh, and Amersfoort will be completely inaccessible

The planned track works will affect one city in the Netherlands significantly more than others this summer. 

A major maintenance project taking place in Amersfoort between July and August means few or no trains will be running for seven weeks.

First up, trains between Amersfoort and Amsterdam will stop running for four weeks. Then, in mid-July, there will be no trains between Amersfoort and Utrecht.

There will be three whole weeks where Amersfoort will be completely inaccessible by train. You’ve got to feel for the approximately 80,000 travellers from, via or to Amersfoort every day.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #26: Complain about the NS

The work starts on Thursday, July 4, and will go on until Monday, August 19 — when all trains should run accordingly again. 

ProRail ensures it will provide more information “in a timely manner,” but as far as we can see, their updates about the “period, nature and duration of the work” are still stuck in 2023…

Has your 2024 commuting experience got off to a bad start? We feel you. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you’re intending to take the train to or from The Hague this weekend (March 2 and 3), let’s just say that you may want to take a rain-check on those plans!

According to a recent press release by the NS, some much-needed work has to be conducted on the tracks, platforms, overhead lines, and other components around Den Haag Centraal.

As a result, no trains will run between Den Haag Laan van NOI and Den Haag Centraal from Saturday, March 2, to Sunday, March 3.

Hoera — no trains the following weekend, either

Trains to and from Den Haag Centraal will also be at a standstill from Saturday, March 9, to Wednesday, March 13.

In a bid to curb the ensuing chaos (and, presumably, some furious complaints!), the NS will be deploying extra buses to ferry commuters to nearby stations instead.

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As anyone who’s used the Dutch rail system in the past year knows, the steep ticket prices feel like the NS adding insult to injury — especially after countless delays and stranded trains.

However, with the NS reporting a €191 million loss for 2023 (as reported by the NOS), the rail carrier is left scrambling to find a solution to its current nosedive into the red.

And that solution? Hike up ticket prices even further.

But why!?

Though a comparatively smaller loss than a year earlier, the rail company has already been forced to increase the prices of most train tickets.

Unfortunately, this price hike hasn’t been sufficient to battle inflation and the growing costs plaguing the company.

As reported by the NOS, this means that a much larger rate increase will be on the cards for 2025 — amounting to more than 10%.

READ MORE | Public transport in the Netherlands: the complete guide

However, that 10% could well be a conservative estimate. According to NS CEO Wouter Koolmees, there could actually be “a double price increase for tickets”, AD reports

Ageing infrastructure and delayed deliveries

Another thorn in the NS’ side appears to have been the Netherlands’ own ageing rail infrastructure.

For example, NS CEO Koolmees pointed to defective viaducts along the HSL (high-speed railway line), growing subsidence along the Zeeland line, and the work that needed to be carried out near Rotterdam and Schiphol.

READ MORE | Train etiquette on Dutch trains: 8 things you’ll always see

In addition to this, the delayed delivery of new ICNGs (Intercity Nieuwe Generatie trains) due to issues along the HSL also impacted the NS’ rail plans.

Staff shortages are also currently being dealt with

The NS is certainly no stranger to the resulting chaos from staff shortages, having previously been forced to cancel trains due to staffing issues in 2022.

Although recruiting staff is still an ongoing issue, AD reports that around 3,715 new employees were hired — of which 1,006 are to become new train conductors and drivers.

It’s hoped that this surge in new recruits will allow the NS to run a smoother timetable over the coming period with far fewer delays.

What do you think of a possible price hike in NS train tickets? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments below!

Double-check your schedules, because fewer trains will be travelling to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport starting next Monday.

ProRail, the Dutch railroad contractor, will be renewing the railways between February 26 and March 7, as well as fixing the escalators, stairs, and ramps of the train station.

The NS calculates extra travel time of around 15 minutes for passengers due to the minor renovations, and recommends checking the NS or 9292 app for travel advice, reports NU.nl.

Renovations in the future

ProRail and NS are currently two years into a six-year renovation plan for the Schiphol Airport tracks and train station.

They will also definitely be working on the railways from March 29 to April 1, 2024, and from May 9 to May 13, 2024. Further activities are planned for November.

These renovation plans aren’t the first disruption to train traffic in Schiphol — fewer trains were running to and from Schiphol in late 2023.

11 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport. pic.twitter.com/K75Gc095rP

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) February 17, 2024

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Train stations in the Netherlands are like their own microcosm — with heaps of ups and downs. Sometimes people sleep in them, other times workers go on strike, and most of the time, trains are geannulleerd (cancelled).

Well, a recent study by Ipsos I&O, commissioned by NS and ProRail, asked 83,162 travellers about their experience at Dutch train stations, and the results are in: while some stations are notoriously unreliable, others are… even worse.

So, if you ever travel by train in the Netherlands, you should know that these are some of the worst train stations the country has to offer — according to travellers.

The worst train stations in the Netherlands

Taking the crown for the worst train station in the country is Lage Zwaluwe — the main station of a village in North Brabant. Travellers find this place rather depressing, rating it 4.6 out of 10.

Why is the ranking so low? “Despite improvements, such as renewal of the platform and lighting, travellers continue to find the station boring,” said the NS. 

Wondering what other places to avoid? Out of the 393 stations in the Netherlands, these are the bottom 10 on the list:

The best train stations in the Netherlands

But not all is bad at Dutch train stations! In fact, little ol’ Klimmen-Ransdaal train station in Limburg received the highest score ever given, with a whopping 8.7 out of 10.

“Travellers appreciate this station for its beautiful location in the hilly landscape and because of the monumental station building from 1913 with restaurant and terrace on the platform,” according to NS.

Also sporting in the top 10 are a variety of other small, charming train stations. The best big train station in the ranking is Rotterdam Centraal, with 7.9 out of 10 points.

And now for your most burning question: How did Amsterdam Centraal score? Out of the 393 stations, Amsterdam Centraal came in 110th place — scoring 7.4 points.

Which is your least favourite train station in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!

Dutch Railway operator NS is sticking to its New Year’s resolution of making things hard for its passengers. This week, travellers between Utrecht and Amsterdam will face the most difficulties.

Those who frequent the Amsterdam-Haarlem-The Hague line may also have to deal with some major annoyances. The reason? Work on the rails.

From February 14 to 26

The NS thought the beginning of the long-awaited Voorjaarsvakantie (Dutch spring break) was the perfect time to start working on some of the country’s busiest train tracks.

So, from Wednesday, February 14, to Monday, February 26, ProRail will be busy with werkzaamheden (construction works) on tracks two to eight at Amsterdam Central Station.

As a result, timetables for trains between Amsterdam and Utrecht have been adjusted, while trains on the Amsterdam–Haarlem–The Hague line will have to be shorter (and, in turn, accommodate fewer passengers).

As the NS writes, this has various consequences on train travel:

• Fewer trains can run than travellers are used to,
• Trains can also be a lot busier,
• Trains may depart from other tracks,
• Travel times will be longer,
• Travellers may have to add extra transfers to their travel.

Long story short: It is recommended that you travel outside rush hours or use the detour routes whenever possible.

Oh, and don’t forget to check 9292 for the latest travel updates.

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From 2025, the NS wants to make train travel an even more enticing option for travellers. How? By widening the reach of its rail networks and connecting existing stops more often.

(And hopefully more reliably! )

On the cards to start December 15, 2024, this is actually one of two major changes that the NS has planned for the following year, according to a new press release.

The second of which is the more widespread availability of the high-speed rail line, in particular, and the faster Intercity Nieuwe Generation high-speed train.

Hoera, there’ll be a ten-minute Sprinter to The Hague

In a bid to save us from battling our way, gladiator-style, to a seat aboard a train on the jam-packed Den-Haag-Centraal-Rotterdam-Centraal-Dordrecht line, the NS has a new Sprinter planned.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #26: Complain about the NS

Dubbed the ‘TienminutenSprinter‘ (Ten Minute Sprinter), it’s intended to solve the long wait times for connecting trains along the route — and the utter chaos of attempting to wrangle a free seat for yourself.

The high-speed rail line will be expanded

Starting next year, the high-speed rail network will be expanded to either Almere and Lelystad or Hilversum and Amersfoort.

Due to this, all Intercity trains from Enschede will run to Utrecht Centraal or Den Haag Centraal in 2025.

The NS also intends to extend its high-speed rail network to Groningen or Leeuwarden, but speed restrictions on existing infrastructure prevent this from being possible in the near future.

A dedicated Airport Sprinter is also in the works

Is getting to Schiphol Airport a Herculean hassle sometimes?

Well, we may just have mumbled our last grumble on the subject, as the NS notes that it’s also working on a special Airport Sprinter to ferry travellers to and from Schiphol Airport.

Do you prefer travelling internationally by train? Then you’ll be happy to know that the NS also plans on doubling the number of daily trains to Brussels from 16 to 32!

Yep, it’s all looking up in 2025.

What do you think of the NS’ proposed new timetable? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments below!

It turns out that “new year, new me” does not apply to the Dutch national rail service, NS. Instead, they’re now coming to us with a warning. Uh-oh.

Yup, the NS has asked train passengers in the Netherlands to prepare for another bad year marked by delays, cancellations, and disruptions.

1 in 10 journeys delayed

If you’re a frequent traveller, you won’t be surprised when I tell you that in 2023, one in ten NS train journeys did not reach their destination at the prescribed ETA.

Needless to say, NS and ProRail did not meet their joint goals for the year.

Why? The companies name a variety of reasons, including work on the rails, renovations of the Schiphol tunnel, sinking tracks in Zeeland, storms, crowds, staff shortages, and speed limits on the high-speed line.

With large power outages, winter weather, and cracked tracks causing problems on the rails in January, it looks like 2024 is going a very similar route.

It gets worse before it gets better

As an NS spokesperson tells NU.nl, there is a lot of work planned on NS tracks and trains this year — and helaas, it cannot always be done in a way that suits travellers.

Rail work will predominantly take place during the week and during the daytime this year rather than at night and on weekends.

Train maintenance will also take longer than the NS would like due to the fact that there are too few contractors and mechanics.

While the NS is working on resolving its staff shortages, NS and ProRail are aiming for a punctuality of 93.7% in 2024. For reference, it is now at 88.9%.

Dutch rail system works well compared to other countries

Although we all like to complain about the NS, the Netherlands is actually doing very well internationally.

In fact, there are only a few countries with a better functioning rail system than us, including Japan and Switzerland.

How did you experience the NS in 2023? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Fewer trains will run the bustling Amsterdam to Rotterdam train route, thanks to cracks on the tracks.

According to a press release by rail operator ProRail, a scan of the Amsterdam-Rotterdam route had revealed structural weaknesses at no less than five points along the journey.

Although further analysis has yet to be done, it is assumed that construction errors have played a part in the tracks’ degradation.

Cancelled trains and longer journeys

As a result of these cracks, it’s now unsafe for trains to continue driving at 160 kilometres per hour on the affected line.

All trains travelling along the route will now need to stick to a conservative speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour.

Helaas, this means that all journeys along the route will now take much longer for commuters.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #26: Complain about the NS

In addition to this, the current speed reduction will make it impossible for rail operators to run a full timetable — in other words, yep, there will be cancellations.

So what does this mean for us travellers? Well, you can likely expect packed carriages and some cancelled trains along your usual route, at least until all structural issues are resolved.

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