Half of Dutch would take the train less if NS hikes ticket prices by 10%

Around half of train passengers would use the train less if NS implements a 10 percent increase in ticket prices next year, Hart van Nederland found when surveying 2,017 members of its panel.

Of the respondents who sometimes travel by train, 54 percent will do so less often if NS hikes the fares. The same is true for 45 percent of people who use the train on a regular basis, for example, for their commute.

42 percent of respondents said they would take the car instead of the train. 4 percent would use other public transport, and 2 percent would take the bike. 6 percent said they would go out less often to avoid the costs.

The Dutch rail company has been struggling financially for some time due to declining passenger numbers. The number of passengers plummeted during the coronavirus crisis and still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. NS recently announced several measures, including cutting 500 jobs, to reduce costs. But the rail company said it will have to increase ticket prices if the government doesn’t subsidize it again like it did last year.

Only 3 percent of Hart van Nederland’s respondents think that a price increase is the best solution for NS’s financial woes. 30 percent think the government should support NS more, and 17 percent advocate for a complete nationalization of the rail company. 38 percent would like to see more competition on the rail network.