NS announces plans to improve services in north, east Netherlands next year
NS announced plans to improve train service in the northern and eastern regions of the Netherlands in its 2027 timetable, RTL reports.
The plan will restore a direct connection between Groningen and Rotterdam and reintroduce a peak-hour direct train between Enschede and Amsterdam Centraal. On weekends, NS will run three intercity trains per hour between Amersfoort and Deventer, up from the current two, improving links between Deventer, Apeldoorn, and Amsterdam.
Tijmen Voet, NS director of scheduling, said, “We have long wanted to connect Northern Netherlands via the high-speed line. In 2025, that was not yet possible, but soon the train from Groningen Central Station will run via the Hanzelijn to Zwolle and Schiphol, then over the high-speed line to Rotterdam Central. We will do this with the brand-new ICNG intercity, which can reach 200 kilometers per hour on the HSL. Once the maximum speed on the Hanzelijn is increased, travel time will be further reduced.”
The plan also calls for doubling Sunday Sprinter service between Den Haag and Dordrecht from two to four trains per hour, while weekday service will continue on the TienminutenSprinter schedule. Weekend intercity trains between Den Haag Centraal and Amsterdam Centraal will add stops at Voorhout and Hillegom, replacing Sprinter services. Extra early-morning and late-evening intercity trains will run between Amsterdam and Den Haag on weekends.
NS gathers advice each year from passenger groups and regional authorities to refine the timetable. ProRail will review the proposals to ensure they fit the existing infrastructure and account for other passenger and freight services. The final 2027 timetable is expected to be released this fall.
