12% NS ticket price hike likely as government refuses extra funding

It’s looking more and more likely that train travel in the Netherlands will become significantly more expensive next year, after the Dutch government announced that it was not allocating any funding to dampen ticket price rises. 

NS ticket prices could go up by 12% in 2026

State Secretary for Public Transport Chris Jansen announced this week that the government would not allocate any money to dampen the increase in the cost of NS train tickets in 2026, RTL reports. With costs still increasing, and no additional funding forthcoming, NS will most likely be forced to increase ticket prices by 12 percent at the beginning of 2026. 

This year, the government and NS both put in funding to each cover 3 percentage points of the price increase, meaning that ticket prices went up by 6 percent, rather than the 12 percent originally projected. At the time, the government said that the 42 million euros it contributed was a one-off measure. 

Speaking to RTL, an NS spokesperson said that the government’s decision not to contribute to holding back rising train prices was “disappointing for train passengers” but declined to comment further. “In the coming period it should become clearer what this means for the affordability of public transport,” they said. 

Other options floated to make Dutch public transport more affordable

Jansen said he had examined the possibility of reallocating funding earmarked for construction and maintenance projects, but had decided against it. There is still the possibility of NS making savings elsewhere in order to cut the price increase. This could include spreading the price increase over several years, or cutting train services on quieter routes.

The Dutch cabinet also this week unveiled a proposal to bring in a discount travel card that would cut the cost of public transport for people who have a lower income. The scheme would cover trains, buses, trams and metro lines in the Netherlands, and would benefit up to 900.000 people. It would be paid for by diverting money from the government’s climate change fund and applying for EU funding. The scheme still needs to get approval from parliament before it can go ahead.