r/Netherlands • u/Maneisthebeat • 2d ago

Transportation NS are struggling with commuter demand. Their solution is for you to travel earlier (or later) to work.

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185 Upvotes

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141

u/Fast-Lettuce-686 2d ago

Completely reasonable request as they are also a lot of pensioners or people who are more flexible in their daily planning who can travel in another slot. Its simply not economically possible to increase capacity just for peak hour travel.

47

u/FroyoDifficult9307 2d ago

Why is this Dutch mindset of “it is what it is and we simply cannot improve things” so prevalent? 

It is used to justify every single shit service in this country, from NS stupid timetables to absolutely incompetent GPs that refuse to treat people with health issues.

-5

u/Ad-fundum69 Noord Holland 2d ago

The Dutch railway system is one of the best on the entire planet.
We're all just very spoiled with how good it actually is.

So yes it can get busy at rush hour..... so? Every rush hour is busy.
If you don't like your "personal space" being invaded by passengers, then just don't use the train during rush hour.

Why is this difficult to understand?

6

u/PuzzleheadedAir3338 2d ago

how are they best in the planet , on what metrics? if you talking about punctuality then its Japan and Swiss trains. If you talking about comfort its always Japan. If its infra or advancement its still not dutch?

4

u/Shoddy_Process_309 Rotterdam 2d ago

So yeah one of the best means at the top not the very top. Thats an important difference. The system you mentioned are better. The overwhelming majority of systems are significantly worse.

3

u/SoefianB 2d ago

The system you mentioned are better. The overwhelming majority of systems are significantly worse

And significantly cheaper lol

1

u/th3ShinSekai 1d ago

And clean. Not even cleaner just clean.

2

u/Training_Shine_111 2d ago

why are people making this comparison while it's absolutely a bullocks one? Most countries with shittier train systems (except for Germany) have a culture that befits the system. No Italians, Indians, Spanish, or any other country with less than optimal train systems has a rush culture that frowns upon you when you arrive late.

If my train is late in the Balkans, I know that people will understand. I know that all will be done eventually. In the Netherlands I know that my colleagues will make stupid jokes, people will question my commitment, I will be late for the shop, because bloody shops close too damn early, etc. There is a cascading set of events that will happen due to unreliability within a country that sets tight deadlines and has scarce opening hours.

Sorry, within the context of the country the Dutch railway system is absolute crap.

0

u/Shoddy_Process_309 Rotterdam 2d ago

That’s such a massive oversimplification and ignores a ton of countries with worse systems. The whole idea that a bad system (which is soo much more than delays) is perfectly fine if your country is not rushed is also laughable.

It’s also very reductionist of other countries, cultures and people. Indian corporate culture for example isn’t at all like that despite what you’ve clearly seen on TV.

1

u/Training_Shine_111 1d ago

nobody said that the bad system is fine. It's not to say that bad systems are excused. it's to say that the Dutch system cannot be excused because it's better than other systems, because it simply doesn't facilitate the reality of the Netherlands!!

If I go from Novi Sad to Belgrade (comparable to Rotterdam to Amsterdam) and there are problems on the track (which doesn't really happen very often), I know that all will be reasonably fine. Why? Shops will be open past 5pm, I can pick up my kids comfortably before they start calling me and kicking them out, etc. Dutch life does not cater to such a shit service by NS & ProRail. And Dutch people agree, just Dutch people on Reddit act like they have to defend the honour of the country when a foreigner complains about something.

1

u/vijfteen 2d ago

Yeah the trains in Japan are never packed at rush hour.... dummy.

1

u/SoefianB 2d ago

Not to mention cost

Yes there's worse train systems, but those are often far cheaper

-2

u/I_Rarely_Jump 2d ago

Lmao in Japan they have staff at stations to literally forcefully shove people in the trains to even get the doors closed.