The summer holidays are over, and the trains are starting to get busier.
Check the crowding indicator in the Travel Planner and find a quiet train.
Plan your journey
What can you expect?
Many people have returned from holidays, which means that there are more travellers on the trains. We do everything we can to make your journey as smooth as possible. What can you expect in the coming period if you are travelling by train?
- Starting from 2 September, longer trains will be operating on almost all routes.
- In the timetable for September, the departure times for a number of routes will be changing by a few minutes.
- Some routes may also still be busy due to engineering works. This may apply to detour routes, for example.
Choose a quieter train
We will be providing extra seating by deploying longer trains. In order to compensate for delays due to minor disruptions, trains on some routes will be departing a few minutes earlier or later than usual. Therefore, plan your trip in the NS app or Travel planner before you leave. This will help you to be prepared for any earlier or later departures.
Check the crowding indicators
When planning your journey, check the crowding indicators and select a quieter train if possible. If the crowding indicator for a train is orange or red, then you can expect that the train will be crowded. In that case, it can often help to choose an earlier or later train. If you are able to do so, avoid travelling during rush hour on Tuesday and Thursday.
Receive notifications about changes or crowding
When planning your journey in the NS app, remember to turn on notifications as well. You will then receive a notification if your train is delayed, departs from a different platform, or is busier than expected.
Frequently asked questions
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For which routes will the departure times be changing in the September timetable?
The departure times will be changing by a few minutes for the routes listed below. You can plan your journey in the NS app or Travel Planner to see what this means for you:
- Amsterdam Amstel - Den Helder
- Amsterdam Centraal - Den Haag Centraal
- Amsterdam Centraal - Den Helder
- Amsterdam Centraal - Zandvoort aan Zee
- Amsterdam Centraal - Hoofddorp
- Amsterdam Sloterdijk - Den Helder
- Amsterdam Centraal - Den Helder
- Den Haag Centraal - Leeuwarden
- Driebergen Zeist - Den Helder
- Ede-Wageningen - Den Helder
- Eindhoven Centraal - Den Haag Centraal
- Enkhuizen - Heerlen
- Maastricht - Den Helder
- Schiphol Airport - Venlo
- 's-Hertogenbosch - Arnhem Centraal
- 's-Hertogenbosch - Maastricht
- 's-Hertogenbosch - Zwolle
- Utrecht Centraal - Den Helder
- Utrecht Centraal - 's-Hertogenbosch
- Utrecht Centraal - Venlo
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What can I expect when travelling by high speed rail (HSL)?
The HSL will be particularly busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We therefore advise you to travel during off-peak hours from Monday to Thursday. Extra trains will be running during peak hours on the HSL between Breda and Rotterdam.
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Which routes will be affected by engineering works?
Starting from the end of August, ProRail will be carrying out engineering works on the railway tracks. As a result of this, some routes may still be busier than usual:
- To and from Utrecht Centraal: fewer Intercity and Sprinter trains will be running from 30 August until 8 September inclusive. Please allow for busier trains and more transfers as a result of this. With respect to the Arnhem Centraal – Utrecht Centraal – Schiphol route, we recommend that you avoid travelling during peak hours, or travel by other means.
- Amersfoort Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal to Den Haag: engineering works are planned for these routes in October.
- Schiphol Airport: engineering works are planned for this route in November.
