This informs him advertisement. According to the paper, NS will take new measures after a record number of people booked an international flight with NS last year and such a large crowd led to problems in the summer.

There would regularly be no room for passengers on the train, or even trains would skip stations because they were already overcrowded.

Book a specific train

Not only buying a ticket in advance, but also reserving a seat on a specific train will become the new norm. So if you bought an Early Bird ticket to Antwerp or Brussels, you will no longer be able to board the intercity flight to Brussels from June 11.

You then have to book a specific train in advance, with which you will travel to the south. In addition, fewer tickets are also provided.

The train trip to Germany is treated less harshly: the reservation requirement only applies during the height of summer.

inevitable measures

These actions are inevitable, says Heik Lutten, Director of NS International, AD writes. For example, shortening cheaper tickets to Belgium will ensure that the passenger flow is better spread.

“NS expects that this measure will contribute to seat availability, comfort and (social) safety at Intercity Brussels,” the manager writes to the passenger organisations.

interest group reaction

But the various interest groups, ANWB, Fietsersbond, KBO/PCOB and ROver, are not pleased with these new measures by NS.

AD writes that they will issue negative advice to Dutch Railways today, stating that NS makes international train travel less attractive in this way. In addition, they are demanding that NS deploy more, longer trains to Belgium and Germany.