In the summer, NS will decide which timetable they will actually run in 2024 based on the most up-to-date figures.
The Dutch Railways has submitted a request for advice on the 2024 Timetable to regional authorities and the passenger organizations united in the LOCOV (National Consultative Body for Consumer Interests in Public Transport).
NS wants to improve the timetable for 2024 and adapt it to the wishes of passengers. Travel behavior has changed a lot since corona broke out, there are still fewer travelers using the train since then and they don't know how this will develop in the future.
There is also a shortage of staff and they cannot predict when this problem will be solved, in short, the NS has to deal with many uncertainties. That is why this year's request for advice is primarily a procedural step to subsequently request space on the track from ProRail. The NS takes a final decision on the timetable in the summer.
“We see that with the timetable for 2023, NS once again offers passengers a stable and reliable timetable. By running longer trains, the number of seats offered again matches the current passenger numbers. In addition, this timetable prevents the workload of our colleagues from increasing further. The first experiences are good: travelers are less likely to have an overcrowded train, can usually sit down and are rarely confronted with cancellations”.
Some proposals from the timetable 2024 include a new night train on Fridays and Saturdays between Amsterdam Central and Utrecht Central, which stops at Hilversum Media Park, Hilversum and Hilversum Sportpark stations. On Friday and Sunday, Thalys capacity in the direction of Amsterdam will be slightly increased. The ten-minute trains between Arnhem, Schiphol and Rotterdam (Intercity trains) are requested in the capacity application on Monday to Thursday during the day.
Ten-minute trains between Amsterdam and Eindhoven (Intercity trains) have also been requested during the day from Monday to Thursday. In the evenings and all day from Friday to Sunday, Intercity trains and Sprinters run every 2024 minutes as much as possible. From February XNUMX, NS intends to request one additional Amsterdam-London return journey every day of the week in the capacity application.
From this date, five trains per direction will be requested on working days, three on Saturdays and four on Sundays. From 2024, travelers will be able to travel by train between Amsterdam and Berlin in less than six hours. In the summer, NS will decide which timetable they will actually run in 2024 based on the most up-to-date figures.
