Travelers urged to avoid trains to Zandvoort as crowds grow

Overcrowded trains prompted national railway NS to urge passengers not to travel on Saturday to Zandvoort, a popular seaside resort west of Amsterdam. "Don't do it, don't take the train if not necessary. You are risking a new lockdown," NS boss Roger van Boxtel warned on Twitter.

"It is very busy on the trains toward Zandvoort. We urge you not to take the train to the beach anymore. Together we must avoid major crowds, the trains are still not for outings," cautioned the NS in a statement around noon.

The railway company added that the warning also applies to replacement bus services, and reminded travelers to to prepare well in advance for their trips in order to avoid coming into close contact with other people.

The warning comes as good weather is expected in the Netherlands over the weekend, with high temperatures ranging from 22 to 27 degrees. Just days ago the government announced that the country would gradually reopen over the course of the summer. Prime Minister Mark Rutte made repeated remarks that the reopening could only happen if the rate of new coronavirus infections and Covid-19 hospitalizations remained at a manageable level.