Trains to run from Amsterdam to Utrecht, Eindhoven every 10 mins. in NS test
From September 6th NS and ProRail will perform tests in running six trains per hour between Amsterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven. For 14 Wednesdays a train will leave on this route every 10 minutes. If these tests go according to plan, there will be six trains per hour on this route every day from the start of the new timetable in December, NOS reports.
NS and ProRail hope that more trains will result in more capacity and less waiting for passengers. More trains also mean a better chance of finding a seat during rush hour. NS CEO Roger van Boxtel expects that it will results in about 15 percent more seats. "Trains are simply full during rush hour, so you can't expect them to be emptier in rush hour", he said to newspaper AD. "But because there are more trains, it can be that one train later there is more chance of a seat. We are taking a huge step on perhaps the busiest line in the Netherands."
He also warned that these tests may lead to additional delays. "I can't exclude more delays more often: a test is for testing. I'm glad that we can warn travelers that for 14 Wednesdays we are going to do tests in the interests of travelers. We learned from the past that we can't simply start something."
According to NOS, years of preparation preceded these tests. Over the past five years ProRail invested heavily in infrastructure. And ProRail and NS held joint simulations to train staff members on the new schedule.
