Rover furious about NS plan to hike train tickets 10% amid more delays, disruptions

Rover is flabbergasted by NS’s plan to increase train ticket prices by 10 percent next year while travelers face more and more delays and train traffic disruptions. The travelers’ organization will argue in parliament today to place NS and ProRail under strict supervision until rail performance improves again.

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, is debating NS’s planned ticket price increase on Tuesday. According to NS, the price increase is necessary to cover increasing costs and inflation with fewer travelers.

According to Rover, NS would have more travelers if it improved its performance. “Since the coronavirus, travelers are still dealing with many canceled trains and therefore longer travel times,” said Rover director Freek Bos. “Add to this the fact that the railway has been plagued by disruptions for months. A significant price increase on top of that guarantees even fewer train passengers.”

Train travelers faced over 100 major disruptions last year, Rover said. If performance deteriorates further, NS and ProRail will face massive fines from the government. But according to Rover, that won’t help the traveler. “The traveler just wants to be able to count on the train. It is useless to them if NS and ProRail receive a fine afterward,” said Bos. “That is why we are asking the State Secretary to intervene now.

Rover wants the government to place NS and ProRail under increased supervision. Last year, the government gave NS an additional 120 million euros to limit ticket price increases. Rover wants that to be a structural, annual investment to ensure that rates can remain the same.

“If investments are made in the reliability of the track and all previously canceled trains start running again, train passengers will also return,” Rover said.