Virtually no NS trains throughout the country due to strike: ‘Communicated much too late’ Instagram

It is the fourth day of an announced relay strike. Due to the impact of the actions, no NS trains can run in the Netherlands throughout the day, with the exception of the Amsterdam Centraal-Schiphol route. The Eurostar and Thalys do run, other international trains do not run in the Netherlands. The trains of the regional carriers will also continue to run, with the exception of the Alphen-Gouda train service.

We advise travelers to postpone their trip or to arrange replacement transport themselves. No alternative bus transport can be used. We find it extremely annoying that travelers are suffering so much from the impact of the actions,” the NS said.

The strike in the Central Netherlands has consequences for almost the entire train run, according to NS. “Many trains run from, to or through this area. Colleagues normally run trains from Utrecht to all directions. In addition, many colleagues work here on the day-to-day coordination of personnel and trains for the entire country. If they stop working, this will have far-reaching consequences for the timetable throughout the Netherlands.”

The rail operator says it has made every effort to provide “a reliable and responsible timetable around the strike areas”, but does not see any possibility to do so, despite all the elaborated scenarios.

NS makes every effort to keep Schiphol Airport accessible. Schiphol Airport will remain accessible four times an hour via Amsterdam Central. NS advises travelers to use alternative transport for Schiphol Airport. On Monday, travelers in North Holland had to take into account longer travel times and more frequent transfers. The third day of strike by the NS staff caused train traffic in North Holland to come to a standstill.

The ANWB warns motorists that due to the train strike, the morning and evening rush hours will probably be busier than usual. Bus operator FlixBus also expects more travelers on all domestic lines in the Netherlands.

Freek Bos (director of the Rover traveler’s association) is particularly unhappy about the moment of announcement. ,,That is of course not possible so late in advance. Very crazy this. It was already known last weekend that the coordination in Utrecht is on strike. But the fact that NS is only now announcing the consequences to travelers is very special.” He calls on NS travelers to make use of the NS strike regulations, with which they can get back up to 25 euros if they use other transport.

The strike was announced by the trade unions FNV Spoor, VVMC and CNV, and is part of the unions’ relay strike. Last week, NS staff already went on strike in the north and west of the Netherlands. The last strike in particular was felt elsewhere as well, because a few important nodes such as Rotterdam Central were hit.

The actions by NS staff are being taken because of the failed collective labor agreement negotiations between NS and the trade unions. The unions demand compensation for the considerably more expensive life and want inflation correction. They also want better working conditions. Last week they decided on a major relay strike.

According to NS, it costs far too much money to comply with the demands of the unions. That would drive up labor costs by 20%. Also, the individual requirements of railway unions would in various cases be at odds with each other and therefore not feasible.

Acting CEO Bert Groenewegen of the NS says that the actions of the unions have ‘a major impact on our travelers’. “The train service is heartbroken. We must rely heavily on the understanding and self-reliance of our travelers. We find that extremely annoying.” Groenewegen says he understands the signal from the strikers. “You don’t just strike. That is why we would like to talk to the trade unions in order to come to a good collective labor agreement.”

According to the NS, no alternative bus transport can be offered. Travelers association Rover finds this strange: ,,That would certainly have been nice. And moreover, apparently something is possible, because there is train traffic between Schiphol and Amsterdam. Then go for a nice commute in Zeeland, because there are alternatives available between Schiphol and Amsterdam, such as regular buses, while that does not apply in Zeeland. Then put in four trains per hour.”

The National Student Union announces through chairman Joram van Velzen that ‘thousands of students’ will be affected. It is difficult to indicate exactly how many there are, because in some student cities the introduction weeks are still ongoing and/or the academic year has not yet started. “A month ago we expressed all our concerns about the accessibility of education, especially outside the Randstad. We are now seeing those concerns come true. Although we are in solidarity with the strikers, it is of course very frustrating. But the strike is a logical consequence of how NS has treated its employees.”