NS to extend length of many trains to reduce crowding; Fewer trains on quiet routes

NS will extend the length of one-third of its trains to increase the number of seats over weekends and during rush hour from Sunday when its new timetable takes effect. The company will also run fewer and shorter trains on several quiet routes to reduce pressure on its employees.

The ten-minute train will return between Eindhoven, Utrecht, and Amsterdam from Monday to Thursday. That means a train will depart on that route every 10 minutes. This should increase seats and reduce crowds on this busy route.

According to NS, these measures will increase seats by an average of 3 percent. The longer trains will add about 85,000 seats on weekends, an increase of about 10 percent. On working days, the longer trains will add 13,000 seats during rush hour, an increase of 4.5 percent.

“With the timetable for 2023, we reduce the chance of trains being canceled at the last minute, we provide more seats where necessary, and we give colleagues more rest,” NS CEO Wouter Koolmees said. “That’s our new base. And when that is in order, we can move forward step by step.”

In the run-up to the new timetable, NS has already reduced the number of trains it runs several times due to staff shortages. While this resulted in more crowded trains, it has reduced the number of last-minute cancelations and ensured a reliable timetable for travelers, according to the company.

NS is taking various initiatives to reduce staff shortages, including asking retired drivers to come back to work and office staff to help out on the track. The first retired drivers are already back o the tracks. Office staff will start helping out early next year.