NS halts all train service Tuesday as nationwide rail strike expands
No NS trains will operate anywhere in the Netherlands on Tuesday as a nationwide rail strike escalates, Dutch Railways (NS) confirmed.
The walkout was originally set to affect only Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, and part of West-Brabant. But on Sunday, rail union VVMC announced that workers across the Randstad would also join the strike. In response, NS decided to suspend all passenger train services nationwide.
“The unions are not satisfied with the offered wage increase,” NS said in a statement. “They also want better working conditions.”
The strike follows stalled contract talks between rail unions and NS. Labor leaders say the company’s latest offer falls short on both wages and working conditions.
NS said it may have been able to operate trains in some areas if it had received more advance notice from the VVMC. “NS regrets the consequences for passengers,” the company said.
On Friday, a previous strike in the central Netherlands already brought rail traffic to a near standstill. Virtually no NS trains operated that day, with the exception of Sprinter services running between Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol Airport.
