NS train tickets and subscriptions set for price increase of over 6 percent

The price of a train ticket and subscription at the national railway company NS will increase by an average of 6.18 percent from January 1. This was reported by the NS on Wednesday. It was already announced by the Cabinet on Budget Day that NS’s train tickets would become six percent more expensive, while earlier estimations had anticipated a 12 percent increase.

A spokesperson for the NS explained that in recent years, the price of train tickets has risen with expected inflation, but that in those years, the actual inflation rose faster. As a result, the development of the price of train tickets lagged behind inflation while costs rose.

That is why the prices were supposed to rise by 8.7 percent this year, but that did not happen thanks to a one-off compensation of 120 million euros from the government. The increase of 8.7 percent would, therefore, be added before 2025, on top of the price increase for expected inflation.

The delayed price increase of 8.7 percent is now being divided across the ministry, NS, and train passengers. The price increase of 6.18 percent for the passengers is a third of the planned increase for 2024, plus the regular increase. “The increase would have been 12 percent if we had made no agreements about this,” said a spokesperson for the NS.

The NS also reported that the price will stay the same for children up to 11 years old in 2025. This also applies to people with unlimited travel in off-peak hours with the Dal Vrij subscription.

In addition, the transport company shared that almost half a million tickets have been sold with an early booking discount since NS introduced this discount scheme in February of this year. Research allegedly proves that a quarter of these travelers would not have traveled by train without the discount, which can go up to 60 percent.

Furthermore, the surcharge for a physical train ticket will increase from 1 to 1.50 euros, the surcharge for the Intercity Direct will increase by 0.10 euros to 3 euros, and renting a public transport bicycle will soon also cost 4.65 for a total of 10 cents more. A Youth Off-Peak Day Ticket will go from 7.95 to 8.50 euros. The Dal Voordeel subscription increases from 5.60 to 5.95 euros per month.

Travel organization Rover believes the price increase will put pressure on the affordability of public transport. "Travelers are increasingly having to drop plans due to high travel costs," said the organization’s director Freek Bos.

He also believes that the quality of public transport has regressed in those years. “Only a price increase of 0% is appropriate."

The Travelers Association warns that the price increase may also have consequences for bus companies. They may soon have fewer customers because fewer people need to be taken to the station. Rover thinks that fares should actually drop so that the minimum fare for a short trip is the same as that of the bus, tram, and metro.