Major travel delays hit the Netherlands as train strikes continue

After trains came to a standstill on Friday, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has now cancelled trains across the Netherlands as rail strikes continue on Tuesday, June 10. The action is expected to cause major traffic congestion as more people take to the roads. 

NS train strikes continue across the Netherlands

Last week, the first series of strikes in public transport services began, with Dutch trade unions promising further action if the NS did not agree to better wage increases and working conditions for its staff. Unions FNV and VVMC announced that the next strike would take place on Tuesday in most of Zuid-Holland, Zeeland and part of West Brabant, later expanding this to include the North-West region as well.

The Dutch rail company followed this with an announcement of its own, stating that no trains would run in the Netherlands on June 10, because the NS “cannot offer a reliable timetable” due to the strikes, reports NOS. The only trains running will be Sprinters between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport.

Drivers warned about traffic due to Dutch rail strikes

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) urged drivers to avoid the morning and evening rush hour, as crowding is expected due to the NS train strikes. Insurance company ANWB also expects roads to be more congested. 

While there are usually traffic jams of around 400 kilometres long, drivers can expect up to 600 kilometres of congestion on Tuesday morning, especially because Tuesdays and Thursdays are already the busiest days on Dutch roads. "These are traffic jams that occur every day, but where there are now, even more congestion [is likely] because there is more traffic,” warned ANWB Traffic Information.

Travel delays for regional public transport in the Netherlands

While NS trains will not be running, regional trains run by other carriers such as Arriva, Qbuzz and Keolis will still be available for passengers. Keolis emphasised that its trains on the routes Amersfoort - Ede-Wageningen, Zwolle - Enschede and Zwolle - Kampen would be running. 

However, the regional carriers have warned that the trains and other public transport could experience some delays. "As a result of the strike, we expect our trains to be extra busy. Please take this into account," stated the carrier.

Rail strike on Thursday cancelled by Dutch unions

Originally, more strikes were set to take place on June 12 and June 16. However, the trade unions have cancelled the strike that was planned for Thursday, June 12 after rumblings that NS had made preparations with an alternative timetable. According to NOS, CNV confirmed that scrapping Thursday's strike is deliberate to cause unrest at NS. 

While the strike is not going forward on Thursday, NS has announced that travellers in Noord-Holland and eastern parts of the country should still expect busier trains and an adjusted timetable as the company needs to make changes again after preparing for the strike that has been cancelled.

Passengers should also keep an eye out for any travel announcements, as the unions can announce another strike just 36 hours before the action takes place. If the NS and the unions still do not come to an agreement, a national strike is still on the table.