Here’s a bold statement: Despite Dutch rail operator NS reporting more passengers and improved punctuality this year, travelers are still grappling with persistent disruptions and rising ticket prices. But here's where it gets controversial—while NS celebrates these improvements, critics argue that the system is far from perfect, and the future affordability of train travel is in question. Let’s dive into the details.
This year, NS expanded its operations by deploying more trains, resulting in a 2.9 percent increase in passenger numbers compared to 2024. Ridership has now reached 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels, a significant milestone. And this is the part most people miss—while the likelihood of finding a seat remained steady and punctuality improved slightly, with 90.6 percent of passengers arriving within five minutes of their scheduled time (up from 89.4 percent in 2024), disruptions and maintenance issues continue to frustrate travelers. For context, over 95 percent of passengers experienced delays of no more than ten minutes, a small but notable improvement.
In December 2024, NS introduced a new timetable, adding 1,600 trains per week. During off-peak hours, around 30 percent of seats were occupied, highlighting the potential for better load distribution. CEO Wouter Koolmees hailed these figures as positive news for both NS and the Netherlands. However, he expressed deep concern about the aging rail infrastructure, which has exceeded its lifespan in many areas. Here’s the kicker—this deterioration has led to frequent disruptions, with passengers enduring particularly challenging days this autumn. Koolmees is urging the government to increase funding for ProRail, the rail infrastructure manager, to address these issues.
ProRail and NS have collaborated on initiatives like Betrouwbaar Beter to enhance performance, but disruptions remain a persistent problem. With over 400 major projects planned for 2026, ProRail emphasizes the urgent need for regular maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. But here’s the catch—these improvements require significant investment, and the question of who will foot the bill remains unresolved.
Parliament is also divided over the affordability of train tickets. PVV member Hidde Heutink warns that a round trip from Enschede to The Hague could soon cost nearly 70 euros, following NS’s planned 6.5 percent fare increase next year. Last year, NS refunded 3.6 million euros to passengers due to delays, a figure Heutink argues could be reduced if trains ran on time. However, he notes that punctuality alone won’t offset the steep price hikes. Here’s a thought-provoking question—are higher ticket prices justified if the service remains unreliable?
Habtamu de Hoop of GroenLinks-PvdA argues that the next government must commit to long-term funding to stabilize ticket prices. “With enough political will, NS ticket prices could be frozen,” he stated. Meanwhile, Dion Huidekooper of D66 suggested increasing “fare differentiation”—widening the price gap between peak and off-peak hours to encourage better travel distribution. But here’s the controversy—would this approach unfairly penalize commuters who have no choice but to travel during peak times?
As NS looks to the future, the balance between improving service, maintaining affordability, and addressing infrastructure challenges remains precarious. What do you think? Are higher ticket prices an acceptable trade-off for better service, or should the government step in to ensure train travel remains accessible to all? Let us know in the comments below.
