Peak hour train fare becomes more expensive

Dutch Railways (NS) wants to raise the price of train tickets during peak hours, according to new transport agreements with state secretary Wilma Mansveld, the Algemeen Dagblad reports. !--more-- According to the new plan, the sale price for a single ticket can rise by 10 percent, while tickets for a longer route can become six percent more expensive. At this time, the NS is still working on a proposal for the set-up of the so-called tariff differentiation. Consumer organizations still have time to give their advice. State secretary Mansveld emphasizes that traveling outside peak hours may be cheaper with the new plan. "We want to reach that people will travel in the off-peak hours if they don't have to travel in peak hours", she says. "That can also be done more often, by flexworks. We want to spread the stream of passengers over the day and make people travel with more awareness. We are also thinking about more flexible tariffs for goods transport." Mansveld has laid down agreements with the NS and ProRail for the next 10 years. These agreements concern the improvement of quality, service and security for passengers. Sprinters that have to travel long distances will have toilets installed, for example. The NS will also have to provide replacement services within an hour of disruptions, even during peak hours. Intercity trains will also be traveling until 1 a.m. in weekends. Now these services usually stop at midnight. If the NS doesn't comply with any of the agreements, the company may be fined a maximum of €6.5 million, which can be demanded immediately. Focal points in the new agreements are customer service, transport capacity in the peak hours, information during disturbances and punctuality. "We did good business. You have a magic wand and a whip. In-between that lies the path I want to take. I am laying down several sanctions, but there is also a big stimulant in these agreements to all strive for improvement", Mansveld tells the Algemeen Dagblad.