NS staff began their second to last scheduled strike at 4 AM today, affecting traffic across the whole country.
Employees from the middle of the Netherlands began the strike, and virtually no trains will run, reports the NOS.
The railway company still runs a train between Amsterdam Central Station and Schiphol four times an hour, while the Eurostar and Thalys trains continue as well.
On the other hand, most regional trains and other international trains do not run today whatsoever.
Unintended consequences
Originally, the NS planned to only strike in the middle of the Netherlands (Utrecht and Amersfoort). However, the impact of the strike is so great that no trains can run throughout the rest of the country.
The NS defended the decision to shut down trains today because Utrecht is part of several train routes. Meanwhile, many employees got involved in the coordination and planning for the strike in Utrecht.
What’s more, the morning and evening rush hours on the highways are even busier than usual. People travelling by car now have to consider traffic jams due to the higher number of cars.
Not soon enough
Travellers’ association Rover believes the NS did not communicate the strike on time, causing serious inconveniences to travellers. Director Freek Bos also questions whether the NS strike really affects train traffic in the north and south of the country.
While the unions already announced a five-day train strike, it was unclear that the strike in Utrecht and the surrounding area would cause disruptions country-wide.
What now?
The labour unions FNV Spoor, VVMC, and CNV are still campaigning for a better labour agreement. They demand higher salaries for NS staff and a one-off payment for 16,700 NS employees.
However, after strikes around Amsterdam, The Hague, and the northern regions, the East and South are the final regions to strike.
According to the NS, tomorrow will be the final day of striking — but further disruptions may follow in the coming weeks.
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