The new Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) timetable comes into effect on Sunday, December 12. New services include a nightly train to Zurich and 10-minute trains between Rotterdam and Schiphol airport.
In spite of reduced passenger numbers and the ongoing coronavirus crisis, NS is moving forward with its plan to improve accessibility and transport options in the Netherlands. The main highlight of the new timetable is the launch of the Nightjet to Zurich, and NS has announced plans to introduce more international services in 2022.
After a three-month trial of the so-called 10-minute trains, these services will officially be part of the NS timetable from Sunday. Now, trains will run every 10 minutes between Rotterdam and Schiphol, Nijmegen and Schiphol, and Rotterdam and Dordrecht throughout the week.
Steps have also been taken to improve connections between Zeeland, North Brabant, and the Randstad, ensuring that a train stops at every Zeeland station at least two times every hour. The number of Sprinter trains between Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn and Utrecht and the number of Intercity trains between Alkmaar and Haarlem has also been increased
While this new timetable marks a significant step towards improving connectivity between Dutch cities, NS CEO Marjan Rintel does emphasise that the COVID-19 pandemic could have long-term implications for public transport in the Netherlands, calling the virus an “uninvited guest at the party.” NS will therefore continue to monitor passenger numbers and adjust their timetables accordingly.
In addition to increasing the number of services between various Dutch cities, NS is working to improve the physical accessibility of their stations and their trains. This year, travel assistance will be introduced at another 25 stations, ensuring people have the help they need in order to be able to board and alight a train. 193 stations in the Netherlands now have NS Travel Assistance.