Rail fares to go up by 4.7% next year to help pay for new trains

Dutch national train operator NS plans to raise average fares by nearly 5% in 2027, outpacing inflation for the third consecutive year. The increases are necessary to fund new comfortable trains, rising costs, and continued service investment, according to Daan Schut, a management board member responsible for fares. To offset the hike, NS is offering larger discounts on off-peak fares for advance bookings, increasing the maximum reduction on PrijsTijd deals from 60% to 80%.

The company also suggests reviving a discounted summer subscription rate, which provided off-peak weekend travel for €49 a month in July and August, instead of the regular €127.50 fee. NS is maintaining the Railrunner fare for children at €2.50 and the KidsVrij subscription for families at no cost. The minimum fare for short journeys will rise to €3.10, while the high-speed line supplement between Schiphol and Rotterdam will increase by 20 cents to €3.40.

Rail passengers' organization Rover opposes the above-inflation increases, citing the success of the summer discount in demonstrating that people will choose train travel if it is affordable. Rover argues that NS's growing passenger numbers should enable more growth, but the frequent large ticket increases are holding it back. Fares have risen by about 6.5% for the past two years, partly to rectify the 1.5% increase in 2023 when inflation was 10%.

Fares were frozen in 2024 thanks to a government cash injection of €120 million. NS recorded a profit for the first time in years in 2025, with a net gain of €380 million, much of which came from a recalculation of access charges incurred during the pandemic when fewer trains ran. The source does not provide information on the cost of Dutch News service.