NS strike will continue to cause problems on Wednesday; International trains rerouted
The impact of the strike by NS workers on Tuesday will continue to have an impact on train routes across the Netherlands on Wednesday. This is in addition to the fifth one-day strike workers will hold in the south and east of the country, mainly affecting the provinces of Gelderland, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Overijssel and Zeeland.
The national railway cancelled nearly all of its trains on Tuesday because of the one-day strike in the center of the country, as many trains start or stop in Utrecht, or cross through the region. The impact of this could have a knock-on effect beyond the 24-hour strike.
“It is possible that not all trains are in the right place yet. This means that travelers will have to take longer travel times and more frequent transfers into account,” the NS stated.
The labor unions will also hold their fifth single-day strike on Wednesday to demand an increase in compensation linked to any fare hikes, a 600 euro one-time payment for each worker, and adjustments to early retirement schemes. The NS and its unions have been far apart in their collective bargaining negotiations for months.
The strike in the south and east of the country will not be mitigated with a replacement bus service. Trains operated by regional carriers will not be affected by the strike. “The impact of the relay strike is huge. NS finds it extremely irritating that this is causing so much trouble for passengers,” the NS said in a statement on Tuesday. “We advise all our travelers to consult the Travel Planner shortly before departure. It was updated this evening.”
Train routes will be modified so that the origin and end points are outside of the strike area. To keep trains running on as normal a timetable as possible, this means many routes will begin and end at Rotterdam Centraal, Dordrecht, Utrecht Centraal, Geldermalsen, Driebergen-Zeist, Amersfoort and Zwolle.
Many international trains will also be impacted by the strike, though there will not be any changes to the Thalys and Eurostar service.
International trains will not stop at the stations in the area where the workers are on strike. They will instead be rerouted around the area. The NS said that the Intercity Berlin will not stop in Apeldoorn, Deventer, Hengelo, or Almelo. The Intercity to Brussels will not stop in Breda.
ICE trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, as well as the Nightjet service to Zurich, Vienna, and Innsbruck, will not stop at Den Bosch or Venlo. These routes will still make their stops in Amsterdam and Utrecht before continuing on to Germany, where they may be affected by construction work.
“NS and its international partners are informing international travelers about the impact of this strike on their journey,” the NS said. “The International Travel Planner is also being adjusted.”
