“Our travelers are already used to giving discounts when traveling during off-peak hours, but we are now going to offer a customized discount per train ride for the first time,” says Tjalling Smit, responsible for train tickets and season tickets within the Board of Directors of NS. “We will do that from now on between The Hague and Eindhoven.”
Reclaiming Travelers
“We are trying out new forms of tickets and want to do everything we can to win back the traveler, now that most of the corona measures are over. And if they opt for a quiet train, they immediately see this reflected in their wallet. For example, if you buy a ticket in the evening after 8 p.m., you will pay about 60 percent less than during rush hour. And in the morning between 10:30 and 12:00 it will be about 40 percent.”
Smit: “The discount on a ticket is determined on the basis of crowding data and a price is linked to that. We want to use this test to see to what extent travelers are willing to adjust their travel behavior by offering a high discount. We hope that trains with many empty seats will be used better, in order to avoid crowded trains.”
Unlike, for example, with an off-peak card, no subscription is required to use the discount. However, you must purchase the ticket at least one day in advance. You plan the journey in the NS travel planner and see per departure time whether travel with a discount is possible and how much you pay less,” says Smit.
“You then buy the ticket in the app and receive an e-ticket with QR code to be able to travel. And looking at the current fuel prices, this initiative may be a solution for many travelers to travel cheaply between The Hague and Eindhoven.”
The pilot will run until 3 July, after which NS will decide whether it will also be rolled out nationally.
“As far as we are concerned, yes,” says Sanne van Galen of the traveler organization Rover. “A discount is always good, especially at a time when public transport can also be a great alternative for motorists with the current fuel prices. We hope that the trial will be successful and that the whole of the Netherlands will soon be able to benefit.”