Last Wednesday, the Dutch national railway company (NS) welcomed all travellers back on their trains.
Day trip travellers, groups, and bicycles are all allowed to use the train again. The samenreiskorting (combined travel discount) and groepsticket (group tickets) options were temporarily unavailable due to the corona crisis.
The samenreiskorting allows an OV chip card holder’s three fellow travellers a 40% discount. This is per single trip and only during off-peak hours. The groepsticket allows for groups of between three and seven people. Again, per single journey and only during off-peak times.
NS has, however, requested people travel throughout the day and to avoid crowds. They must keep the 1.5m distance. And wearing a mask is still mandatory.
Bicycles back on the train
It’s also possible to bring standard bicycles on the train again. This requires pre-registration, though. This can be done via the ‘Trein Veilig Service’. You can find more information about that here. Passengers will receive a notification of the space availabilities before the journey. This way, good spread and safety will be ensured.
In the coming weeks, NS will install special disinfection stations. The first will be placed in the eight busiest stations in the country. That includes Eindhoven.
Although all seats have become available again, the green stickers will remain in place for the time being. These stickers indicate where passengers may sit. They serve as an aid to keep as much distance as possible, where possible.
All these measures are to ensure safe, responsible journeys.
Source: NS
Translator: Seetha
Editor: Melinda Walraven
