If NS train tickets are already costing us an arm and a leg, we can add our kidneys to that for next year, as ticket prices are expected to increase by 12%.
State Secretary for Public Transport Chris Jansen is working with the railway company to try to figure out how to soften the blow.
No more help
You may have noticed that NS ticket prices have already increased this year. However, the state and NS both paid 3% of the increase, which means your ticket was 6% more expensive, rather than 12%.
Next year, we’re on our own. According to RTL, this means the increase would reach the 12% we managed to avoid so far.
Trying to find a solution
Jansen and the NS are both trying to find ways to lessen the increase, but they haven’t found anything satisfactory yet.
The proposal to use money from the Mobility Fund to pay a few percentage points of the increase was rejected. That money will still be used for its intended purpose – the construction and maintenance of infrastructure.
There are currently two other possible solutions on the table.
The first is to spread the increase over several years. That way, you’ll slowly be able to afford fewer and fewer coffees instead of having to start a diet of canned soup at once.
The second would be to limit the number of journeys on quieter routes – because you can’t spend money on a train ticket if there’s no train.
How do you think the NS should deal with these price increases? Let us know your thoughts!
