Dutch railway company NS has been working with the government and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to come up with a solution to limit the ticket price increase set for 2025. The compromise currently being discussed would see the planned increase of almost 12 percent lowered to just 6 percent.
NS announced earlier this year that 2025 would see ticket prices increase by over 11 percent. There was quite an uproar after this, with a survey by Hart van Nederland revealing that more than half of train passengers would take the train less if the plan were to go ahead, which could cause more of a loss for the government-owned company.
According to AD, inside sources have confirmed that negotiations are taking place between the NS, the cabinet and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to keep ticket prices from increasing by a staggering amount. The compromise could see the Dutch government and the NS each contributing 40 million euros to keep the ticket price increase at a more reasonable level, while the remaining 40 million euros would be paid by train passengers. However, the price increase would be down to 6 percent instead of a 12 percent price hike.
Ticket prices for travelling by train were originally supposed to increase by an additional 3,5 percent this year, but thanks to 120 million euros in government subsidies, the increase was put off. Due to a loss during the first half of 2024, the NS stated that they could no longer hold off on raising ticket prices next year.
Hiking ticket prices doesn’t come without risk for the railway company, as the Knowledge Institute for Mobility (KiM) estimates that every percent of price increase results in a 0,45 percent decrease in the number of rail passengers. However, based on their figures, the NS predicts an even greater decline in passengers.
While it has not yet been finalised whether the government will help reduce ticket prices, it is a sensitive issue among the different coalition parties. Caroline van der Plas (BBB) said last month that “NS must stop seeing us as an ATM”, while Dutch State Secretary for Public Transport and the Environment Chris Jansen (PVV) has advocated for a solution to help the NS.
“Affordable public transport is of great importance to our society,” said Jansen. “The intention of the cabinet is to find a structural solution for the high fare increases in consultation with NS.” The situation will be discussed on Thursday in the Tweede Kamer.
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