Large Randstad train stations most affected by Covid pandemic

The larger train stations in the Randstad area were more affected by coronavirus restrictions last year than smaller stations elsewhere in the Netherlands. It was already known that the daily train passengers dropped by over 55 percent in 2020, but new figures showed that the decrease varied widely per station, AD reported based on figures from rail company NS.

None of the 380 train stations in the Netherlands had more travelers in 2020 than in 2019. Schiphol station saw the biggest decrease, due to the pandemic bringing air travel to a near halt for large parts of 2020. Usually over 98 thousand people use the airport station per day, last year that dropped by two thirds to 29,753.

Utrecht Central Station saw passenger numbers fall by 58 percent, from 207,360 daily travelers to 87,221. Amsterdam Central Station's passengers dropped by 60 percent from almost 200 thousand to some 79 thousand per day. Rotterdam Central Station had 57 percent less travelers at 44,029 per day. And Den Haag Central Station saw passenger numbers decrease by 61 percent to 38,255 per day.

Outside the Randstad, the passenger decrease was smaller. For example, Middelburg station's travelers fell by only 49 percent from 4,693 to 2,400 per day. Breda station's passengers decreased by 55 percent, Arnhem Central Station's by 54 percent, and Zwolle's by 53 percent.

Lansingerland station, near Zoetermeer, saw the smallest decrease at only 27 percent. Other stations that saw relatively small decreases in passengers were Rilland-Bath in Zeeland at minus 36 percent, Oudenbosch in Noord-Brabant at minus 40 percent, and Akkrum in Friesland and Nijmegen Dukenburg at minus 45 percent each.