New NS timetable: this will change for you

December is traditionally the month of Sinterklaas, Christmas and… the new NS timetable! Every year, the carrier announces what the changes are on the track. Do you often travel by train? This changes for you.

The new timetable will come into effect on Sunday 11 December. NS press officer Oscar van Elferen says: “With the new timetable, we reduce the chance that many trains will be canceled in 2023. Fewer people travel by train than before corona and people travel on different days and times. As a result, the need is different.”

Biggest changes for Zoetermeer travelers

For travelers from Zoetermeer, the biggest change is that fewer sprinters drive between Zoetermeer, Gouda and The Hague Central Station. This applies from Monday to Thursday outside rush hours and all day on Friday. This means that from Zoetermeer station you can now take the sprinter to Gouda or The Hague CS twice an hour. You will find all changes on the track here.

In addition, it is important to know that in the coming period it will only be possible to travel from the train stations Zoetermeer Oost and Lansingerland-Zoetermeer. Zoetermeer train station is closed due to the closed Mandela Bridge. The bridge is unsafe due to cracks and closed to walkers and cyclists. Hopefully Zoetermeer train station, and RandstadRail stop Driemanspolder, will open again from January 1, 2023. We will keep you informed.

Extending trains

Being crammed into an overcrowded train may be a thing of the past: 30 percent of trains are being extended. Oscar indicates that it is not yet known which trains this concerns. “As a result, there are sometimes more seats, but it can still be busy on a number of routes. We cannot completely prevent that.”

Check before you leave to be sure travel planner from NS.