Good news, the Dutch trains might soon be less packed like sardines during peak hours. The bad news? The ticket might cost you EVEN MORE than it already does today.
The Dutch cabinet of ministers has given the Dutch Railways company (NS) the go-ahead to stack a peak-hour tax on top of train ticket prices from 2026, reports de Volkskrant.
What’s that mean? If you’re travelling during rush hours — as many people have to in order to get to work — it might cost you more than it already does…
The NS hopes that this will lead to fewer packed train cabins during rush hour.
READ MORE | The ultimate guide to taking a train in the Netherlands: from OV cards to saving money
However, there is a silver lining in all this. If you’re a lucky off-peak hours traveller, those train ticket prices should go down a little for you.
Yet to be decided
Before panicking, it’s good to know that while this is what the Dutch cabinet wants to do, this doesn’t mean they can.
This is because the Dutch House of Representatives will have the final vote as to whether the NS will be allowed to do this.
A debate on September 26 will tell us if the NS will be given the final green light for the tax.
It's funny how foreigners positively rate our public transport. Dutch people on the other hand, like to complain about NS and the delays of the trains. Peak rush hour is pretty bad though. Trains are packed to the max and on occasions people are left behind on the station. pic.twitter.com/NAefzAKEp6— Iv (@Interrailtravel) June 11, 2019
On that day, the parliament will also discuss whether the NS will have to start sharing rights to sell international train tickets with other carriers.
How would that be good for us? The more companies compete, the less they can dramatically increase their prices!
Would you support adding a peak-hour tax for the trains? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
More people will just choose cars over trains. There’s literally no logic and sense in it.