Update: Hold your horses and look at the publishing date. Hope you had a good laugh, and we’ll catch you next April Fool’s — and remember, always check your sources. 🤭
Dutch rail company NS has announced that, due to increased public transport usage and crowded trains, new “standing compartments” will be introduced across all major NS-run train networks.
As gas and energy prices continue to rise, NS expects a significant increase in train usage in the coming months.
To address the upcoming crowding, NS CEO Wouter Koolmees announced this week that new trains will be introduced ahead of King’s Day 2026. That’s just a month away!
What to expect
While the old trains have two main sections (first and second class), second class will be cancelled, and the new trains will include carriages for standing passengers.
The hope is to offset crowded rides during rush hour and accommodate new passengers switching from driving to public transport.
Koolmees is optimistic about the plans: “We’ve had a long-standing desire to try this out,” he said earlier this week. “It’s time to get on our feet and make it happen!”
The new trains are already on their way to the major stations: according to reports, they’ll be fully functional by 27 April in order to properly flood Amsterdam for King’s Day.
Bicycle carriage
The new trains will also include a separate carriage for those with bikes, to keep them from getting in the way in other train cars.
These additional carriages will reportedly be able to hold up to 30 bicycles and their owners. It is still being discussed whether fatbikes will be allowed.
Jetten cabinet approves
The new cabinet is also on board. It’s been widely publicised that the new cabinet places public transport concerns high on its list of priorities.
In an effort to promote greater use of public transport, the cabinet is standing up for the NS and offering €265 million in funding to support the fast-paced initiative.
“I know where I stand on this issue,” Jetten said yesterday: “We need our trains to be fully optimised and ready to rail us into an upstanding future.”
What do you think of the new trains? Let us know in the comments!
