No Trains Running This Friday Nationwide as NS Staff Strike Over Pay
NS trains will stop June 6, with more strikes on June 10, 12, and 17 with no transport alternatives offered. A compensation scheme of €25/day or delay refund applies via NS.
Train traffic across the Netherlands will come to a standstill this Friday, June 6, due to a regional strike by staff in the central Netherlands. The strike, centred around Utrecht, will impact the entire national NS network and is expected to cause significant disruptions, with no alternative transport options provided.
Dutch railway company NS confirmed that no domestic trains will run from 4:00 a.m. Friday until 4:00 a.m. Saturday. The strike was called after negotiations over a new collective labour agreement broke down. Unions FNV and VVMC are demanding a 4% wage increase in both 2025 and 2026, citing high inflation, excessive workloads, and an ongoing staffing crisis. NS had offered a 2.55% raise, which unions dismissed as insufficient.
“We don't like doing this—it’s not fun for passengers. But NS leaves us no choice,” said VVMC union representative Wim Eilert. FNV director Henri Janssen emphasised that poor working conditions are driving new employees to leave quickly, and that stronger labor agreements are needed to improve retention.
The central region's strategic importance—particularly Utrecht, where national train schedules are coordinated—means that this localised strike will halt services nationwide. NS explained that deploying replacement buses is not feasible, both due to logistical scale and legal restrictions during strike actions. “A train carries 1,000 people. A bus only 50. It's simply not possible,” a spokesperson told NOS.
More Strikes Coming
This is the first in a series of planned regional strikes:
Tuesday, June 10: Western Netherlands
Thursday, June 12: Northwest and East Netherlands
Tuesday, June 17 (anticipated): National strike day
During these days, regional trains by non-NS operators are expected to run normally, and international services—except for the Eurocity Direct—will mostly continue, although with reduced service between Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol Airport.
What About Compensation?
NS has activated its strike compensation scheme, which includes two options for affected passengers:
Delay Refund Scheme (GTBV)
Compensation for alternative transport (up to €25 per person per day)
You may only claim one of the two options. Travellers are encouraged to check the NS journey planner and enable notifications in the NS app for real-time updates.
With the long Pinkster (Pentecost) weekend starting Friday, many travellers are likely to be affected. While NS expressed regret over the inconvenience, the company reiterated that striking is a legal right and emphasised its willingness to return to negotiations.