The combination of scheduled renovation work and ProRail staff strikes has made this November a chaotic time for Dutch Railways (NS) users — and the last leg of the month won’t get any better.
According to the NS, this morning’s ProRail strike in South Holland, Zeeland, and West Brabant will be followed by two more strikes on Wednesday and Friday, affecting different areas of the country.
Moreover, due to a major ongoing renovation project, we should also brace for two more weeks of disruption for trains travelling to, from, and through Schiphol Airport, warns the NS.
Is it starting to feel like the Dutch have secretly created a new festivity called “No Train November” and forced you to attend? We feel the same — let’s see how to cope with it.👇
The next strikes
While this morning’s strike, officially concluded around 9 AM, is still causing delays on the tracks of South Holland, Zeeland, and West Brabant, it’s already time to prepare for two new strikes:
- Wednesday morning: strikes in Eindhoven and Maastricht.
- Friday morning: strikes in Zwolle, Groningen, and Haarlem.
Just like today’s strike, both of these were announced by the FNV union due to stalled collective labour agreement negotiations, and will involve workers from ProRail traffic control posts.
This means that disruptions will extend past the areas of the strike, with possible repercussions across the entire country.
Ongoing renovation work at Schiphol
Meanwhile, the major renovation work around Schiphol is still underway, adding another source of cancellations and delays to the mix.
Before the work comes to a close on Wednesday, 4 December, you can expect the following disruptions — and solutions!
Cancelled trains
The most severe disruptions will happen on the last weekend of November, when no trains will run between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Zuid, and only half of the regular trains will run between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal, Leiden Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal.
Specifically, this disruption will last from Friday, 29 November, at 4 AM to Monday, 2 December, at 2 AM.
To help passengers deal with this nuisance, the NS has made train tickets valid on metro lines 50 and 51 between Amsterdam Lelylaan and Amsterdam Zuid on these days.
Fewer trains
Until December 4, trains will run through Schiphol, but far less frequently than usual, resulting in delays, cancellations, and crowded trains.
Until then, the NS advises avoiding travelling through Schiphol altogether — or at least avoiding the rush hour.
To allow you to properly deal with No Trains November, the NS advises travellers to consult the latest information on the NS website.
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