NS considering train ticket discounts for traveling outside rush hour

NS wants to reduce crowds in rush hour trains by making train tickets for outside rush hour cheaper. That will cost 35 million euros that NS does not have. CEO Roger van Boxtel is therefore turning to the government, RTL Nieuws reports.

Passengers that travel outside rush hour should pay 40 percent less for their tickets, Van Boxtel thinks. This will encourage people to avoid trains during their busiest point and thereby result in a better distribution of passengers.

He believes the money needed for this plan should come from the government's fund for meeting the Netherlands' climate goals. "We want commuters to choose the train as much as possible to prevent traffic jams and pollution. Then public transport must be an affordable, fast and comfortable alternative."

State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven of Infrastructure thinks Van Boxtel's plan is "very interesting" and she will look into it.