Winter weather forces NS to shift to reduced timetable Tuesday after rail disruptions
Dutch national rail operator NS said it will operate a reduced winter timetable on Tuesday after snow caused widespread disruption across the rail network on Monday, with switch failures already leading to delays and canceled trains and heavier snowfall expected later in the day.
NS said winter weather is already affecting many routes, with snow triggering switch malfunctions that have reduced services and caused train cancellations.
Weather forecasts indicate new, heavy snow showers will hit various parts of the Netherlands around 5 p.m. Monday, sharply increasing disruption. Travelers are being urged to leave early, preferably in the afternoon and well before the evening rush hour, and to plan journeys shortly before departure.
Because winter conditions are expected again across the entire country on Tuesday, NS said the risk of further disruption remains high. The winter timetable will be in effect throughout the day, meaning fewer NS trains will run on several routes. Passengers should expect longer travel times, more transfers and increased crowding.
NS said that even if weather conditions improve, services cannot return to a normal timetable because staff, trains and passenger information systems will already be deployed under the adjusted schedule. The operator said it prefers preventive action rather than risking more severe disruption if conditions worsen.
Under the winter timetable, at least two trains per hour will continue to operate on nearly all routes, and in some cases four per hour. NS acknowledged the inconvenience for travelers but said the decision is intended to maintain a dependable and safe service.
Intercity services will be reduced throughout the day on major corridors, including Alkmaar and Den Helder via Amsterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal toward Sittard; between Amsterdam Centraal and Den Haag Centraal; Amsterdam Centraal and Enkhuizen; Den Haag Centraal and Utrecht Centraal; Roosendaal and Vlissingen; Rotterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal; Rotterdam Centraal and Den Haag Hollandspoor; Schiphol Airport via Utrecht Centraal to Nijmegen; and between Utrecht Centraal, Amersfoort Centraal and Deventer.
Sprinter services will also be reduced all day on routes linking Alphen aan den Rijn and Gouda; Amsterdam Centraal and Almere Oostvaarders; Den Haag Centraal and Dordrecht; Den Haag Centraal and Leiden Centraal; Uitgeest via Utrecht Centraal to Driebergen-Zeist; Utrecht Centraal through Hilversum and Weesp to Hoofddorp; Hilversum and Almere Centrum; Arnhem and Nijmegen; and between Amsterdam, Schiphol and Hoofddorp.
Additional reductions during rush hours will affect Sprinter services between Den Haag Centraal and Gouda Goverwelle, Groningen and Assen, and Utrecht Centraal and Leiden Centraal.
Travelers are advised to use 9292.nl as an alternative and to check travel advice shortly before departure. Passengers are also urged to enable alerts in the NS app, allow extra travel time—especially during peak hours—and be aware that trains may depart at different times than usual.
ProRail said it has deployed additional snow-clearing and fault-repair teams to address switch failures. Despite these measures, NS warned that disruptions may continue. NS and ProRail said they are working to resolve problems as quickly as possible.
