ProRail and NS are looking to jump onto the nitrogen crisis bandwagon: they say the government should invest 20.6 billion euros into the railways as it would be the perfect solution to bring the nitrogen crisis under control, reports AD based on a proposal they have.
Making people take public transport
They don’t want all of this money pumped into one mega project, but different ones around the country up until 2040. As train journeys are a lot more sustainable than car journeys, Hans van Leeuwan, a member of ProRail’s board, says that public transport must be made more attractive.
However, there was no comment on how the NS has scrapped the evening rush hour discount for a number of loyal commuters who had an NS Voordeeluren season ticket. According to RTL Nieuws, they spoke of how many more trains they’ll have and how to make commutes faster. However, RTL Nieuws or AD did not mention if they would be introducing new discounts, reducing the price, and so on.
Where do they want this money invested?
But will we be complaining about faster commutes and better accessibility for some parts of rural Netherlands? Probably not.
They want more trains between Amsterdam and Eindhoven; expansion of travel hubs like Amersfoort, Nijmegen, and Leiden; shortening of the commute from Leeuwarden and Groningen to Randstad through the Hanze line; and faster train journeys to the west from selected stations.
With these changes, a lot more people can get around the country faster and can choose to live outside of the Randstad. However, they should seriously consider reducing the ticket prices and introducing attractive discounts so that travellers will actually be persuaded to make the switch.
Do you travel by the Dutch railways often? What’s your opinion on the public transport system in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature Image: Pexels/Skitterphoto