NOS News•today, 11:05
The Dutch Railways will not increase ticket prices for domestic travel next year. The transport organization announced this today. The prices can remain the same because the government is allocating 120 million euros at the request of a majority of the House of Representatives.
Minister Heijnen (Infrastructure) previously announced that NS could increase rates by 3.5 percent as of January, on top of the regular price increase. Traveler interest group Rover feared that tickets would become at least 6.5 percent more expensive for travelers next year.
A majority in parliament then asked the cabinet to allocate money to combat price increases in public transport. The 120 million euros has been made available for the NS from the budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Mobility Fund. Investments in rail are, among other things, paid from this fund.
The NS will increase the rates for international trains next year: they will rise by almost 8 percent. Renting an OV-fiets will also cost travelers a little more. Next year it will cost 4.55 euros per 24 hours. This year it was still 4.45 euros.
More money
It remains to be seen whether the prices for tickets for domestic travel will remain the same in 2025. According to the NS, this is only possible if the government makes money available again. “If not, we have no choice but to implement the postponed increase for 2024 at the end of next year, on top of the inflation for 2025,” says NS director Tjalling Smit.
“And no one wants that. We are therefore in discussions with The Hague to prevent this and look for a structural solution.”
The NS also planned to introduce a rush hour charge in 2026 to combat overcrowded trains. This idea was criticized, among others, by the Chamber and by travelers who stated that they could only travel during rush hour to go to work.
Last week, NS CEO Wouter Koolmees announced that that plan will not go ahead. “We have found that there is no support for this,” he said in the radio program Sven on 1.
