Sustainability and reuse are becoming increasingly important in our society, and the Dutch Railways (NS) is responding to this with an innovative concept: the NS Upcycle Shop at Rotterdam Central Station. From Monday March 25 to Saturday March 30, part of the station will be transformed into a pop-up shop where train and sustainability enthusiasts can indulge themselves.

The NS Upcycle Shop is not just a store; it is a showcase of how the NS gives old materials from stations, trains and workshops a second life. In collaboration with various upcycle partners such as Ver DraaidGoed and Fraenck, unique products are made from discarded materials. For example, the old yellow information boards are given a new purpose as service leaflets, coasters and track blocks, while the upholstery of train seats is transformed into lap sleeves, bags and cases.

This initiative is part of NS's broader sustainability vision, in which the company strives for a circular economy. When modernizing trains, no less than 99% of the materials are processed circularly: 86% are reused in the train and 13% find their way to new applications outside the train. This approach underlines NS's ambition to eliminate waste and keep materials in the cycle for as long as possible.