NS begins alerting passengers about emptier Dutch trains with push notifications

Train passengers travelling during peak hours will be encouraged to use emptier trains with push notifications from NS. The Dutch rail company will suggest alternative trains on the same routes that have more open seats, while also continuing to offer discounts for travelling on quieter trains.

NS aims to ease crowded trains during September rush

September is known for being the busiest month of the year for Dutch public transport as kids are back at school and workers head back to the office after the summer holidays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are particularly busy during peak hours. 

According to NS, even during these busy periods, there are still trains that have plenty of seats, you just need to choose the right one. That is why the Dutch rail company will now point passengers towards emptier trains, with push notifications on their mobile phones. 

The NS mobile app also uses icons to indicate which trains are quieter during different times of day. NS also offers a discount if you travel on less busy trains via the PrijsTijd Deal.

Quieter alternatives to busy trains in the Netherlands

The Dutch rail company encourages passengers to choose other trains running on the same routes that have more available seating. For example, instead of taking the Intercity train on Tuesday at 8.23am from Breda to Rotterdam, where a third of passengers have to stand, wait three minutes longer and take the Eurocity to Rotterdam, where half the seats are often empty.

Passengers travelling between The Hague Moerwijk and The Hague HS on Tuesday mornings are also encouraged to switch things up. The 8.12am Sprinter train sees more than a third of passengers without seats, while the train 10 minutes earlier and 10 minutes later has more than 50 percent of seats available. 

While the NS starts running its post-summer timetable in September every year to try to combat the crowds, the more frequent and longer trains can only do so much. "Every year in the autumn, we run longer trains wherever possible, and this year is no exception. But there's a limit to that," Tijmen Voet, Director of Timetables at NS, said in a news release.

"We experience peak congestion during rush hour, so longer trains are necessary. Outside of those hours, they largely run empty or are parked. That's expensive and inefficient." If even a small number of passengers start using emptier trains, fewer people will have to stand, and the NS will be running more efficiently.