In 2026, the Dutch Railways (NS) will continue to work on expanding and improving the timetable.
After the major changes in 2025, the carrier will focus on frequency increases and new direct connections next year. For example, Zeeland and Noord-Brabant will be better connected, more trains will run between Amersfoort and Deventer and travellers will be able to benefit from extra early and late trains. This is evident from the Advice Request for the 2026 Timetable, which NS has submitted to regional authorities and travellers' organisations, united in Locov.
high-speed line spearhead
The structural changes of 2025, whereby trains from the High Speed Line (HSL) continue to Amersfoort and Lelystad, will be maintained in 2026 and may be further expanded. The extent to which this happens depends on the speed with which infrastructure problems are solved and the delivery of new Intercity New Generation (ICNG) trains. According to NS, these developments are being closely monitored.
An important change in the timetable is the improved train connection between Zeeland and Noord-Brabant. The intercity from Zwolle to Roosendaal will be extended to Vlissingen every hour. This plan is the result of the compensation package 'Wind in de Zeilen', which was drawn up after the Marine barracks in Vlissingen did not go ahead.
Thanks to this change, travellers from Zeeland can now travel directly to North Brabant, which increases the accessibility of the province. The agreements on this were previously established between the province of Zeeland, NS, rail manager ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
more intercity trains
Between Amersfoort and Deventer, the frequency of intercity trains on weekdays will increase from three to four per hour. At present, this only applies during peak hours, but in the new timetable it will remain this way all day. This will provide better transfer options in Apeldoorn towards Zutphen and in Deventer towards Zwolle. Only at the times when the international train is travelling to Germany, the frequency on this route will be limited to three intercity trains per hour.
The sprinter services are also getting a boost. On the Zaanlijn, between Uitgeest and Amsterdam Centraal, NS is doubling the number of sprinters in the weekend from two to four per hour. This not only means shorter waiting times for travellers, but also better service at stations such as Amsterdam Amstel, Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena, Abcoude and the stops between Breukelen and Rhenen.
In addition, the sprinter services between Den Haag Centraal and Dordrecht will be significantly expanded on Saturdays. On the route, where a Ten-minute Sprinter already runs during the week, the frequency between 10.00:20.00 and XNUMX:XNUMX will be increased from two to four sprinters per hour. This is in line with the plans to further develop the so-called CitySprinter, especially with a view to the large housing projects along the Oude Lijn.
more widely available
Passengers travelling early in the morning or late at night will also have additional options. On several routes, the first train will depart earlier and the last train will depart later. For example, the first intercity between Hilversum and Schiphol will depart an hour earlier on Sundays, while the last intercity from Leeuwarden to Utrecht will depart an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays.
Due to long-term work at Vught, a speed limit of 80 km/h applies to the route between 's-Hertogenbosch and Eindhoven. This results in a longer travel time, and in order to maintain connections in Limburg, the intercity between Heerlen and Eindhoven skips Weert station once an hour during the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). At the same time, the intercity from Heerlen to Eindhoven is extended to Utrecht and Amsterdam once an hour, which provides a faster connection from Limburg to the Randstad.
With these adjustments to the 2026 timetable, NS wants to offer passengers more travel options, improve the accessibility of various regions and respond to the growing demand for train traffic. Whether all plans are actually implemented depends partly on infrastructural developments and the availability of equipment.
