Fewer trains running the Netherlands due to staff shortages
NS has confirmed that, before the new timetable goes into force in December, travellers should be prepared for more cuts, especially during rush hour, just two weeks later. "Running fewer trains is the last thing we want to do. However, it is required since trains are now being canceled much too frequently, according to the company's website. In order to "guarantee that trains are cancelled at the last minute less often, and our staff receive more breathing room," NS aims to move through with some of the improvements that were originally scheduled for December 11.
November will see the implementation of changes to the NS timetable.
- NS has declared that the following timetable modifications will take effect on November 7:
- Fewer Intercity trains running between Schagen and Alkmaar, and Alkmaar and Haarlem on weekdays during rush hour.
- Fewer Intercity trains running between The Hague and Amsterdam, and Rotterdam and Utrecht (during off-peak hours on Monday to Thursday and all day on Friday).
- Fewer Sprinters running between Oss and Den Bosch, Groningen and Assen, Rotterdam and Gouda, Houten and Utrecht, Woerden and Leiden, and Harderwijk and Amersfoort on weekdays during rush hour.
- Fewer Sprinters running between Dordrecht and Rotterdam.
- Fewer Sprinters running between The Hague and Gouda (during off-peak hours on Monday to Thursday and all day on Friday).
- Fewer Sprinters running between Utrecht and Leiden (all day on Fridays).
- Some evening and weekend services between Hoofddorp and Hoorn, and Baarn and Utrecht have also been cut.
To accommodate the heavier crowds, NS will run longer trains between Eindhoven and Amsterdam as well as between Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport, and Arnhem in addition to these cuts. There will be more trains travelling between Amersfoort and Zwolle. Visit the NS website for further details about the revised timetable.
