NS Friday timetable

[Bikeman78]

Recently I noticed that the Dutch railways run a reduced service on Fridays. How long has this been the case? It only affects routes that run six times per hour Monday to Thursday. They are reduced to four times per hour. Examples are Amsterdam to Eindhoven, Arnhem/Amsterdam Zuid/Rotterdam, and the Sprinters from Dordrecht to Den Haag.

 

[Bemined]

I think they cut down from 6 to 4 tph after the summer of 2022, but it wasn't until 2024 when they made a separate timetable for it, in the mean time they simply cut some services, leaving the remaining trains in a 20/10 interval. Starting next year they will resume 6tph between Eindhoven and Amsterdam on Fridays, but Arnhem - Schiphol - Rotterdam will remain 4tph.

 

[DanielB]

Arnhem - Schiphol was cut from 6 to 4 tph as of the 13th of June 2022 on Monday till Friday. That situation lasted quite some time and actually the frequency on Fridays has never decreased at a later moment: in the 2025 timetable they simply only increased the frequency back to 6 tph on Monday till Thursday.

The adjustment to the timetable at Arnhem - Schiphol on Fridays is AFAIK limited to a change which service calls at Veenendaal-De Klomp, as that line never had a real 10-minute interval. Trains leave from Utrecht every 15 minutes with two additional trains in between (which don't run on Friday). Due to the variation in stopping patterns, these trains depart in approximately a 10-minute interval from Ede-Wageningen towards Arnhem, but in practice the trains are separated by 7/14/12/4/14/11 minutes (the sixt train also has a slightly different path every two hours to free a path for the ICE.

 

[Bemined]

Utrecht - Arnhem changed back to 6 trains per hour in 2024 but initially peak only, trains would depart Utrecht in a 7/12/11 interval during the peak and 12/18 off-peak. In 2025 off-peak frequency was restored as well Monday - Thursday, and the interval was changed to 9/10/11, with an adjustment in hours the ICE train ran. Because of the different number of stops each train takes they arrive in Arnhem in a 7/13/10 interval. On Fridays trains between Utrecht and Arnhem run in a 14/16 interval, trains still have a different stopping pattern but the number of stops is the same for all trains.

 

[duesselmartin]

I would have assumed Friday being the busiest day of the week?

 

[Struner]

I would have assumed Friday being the busiest day of the week?

not at all, commuters taking the day off or working @home since corona

 

[Bemined]

When it comes to the morning peak, Fridays are by far the quietest weekday. In the afternoon I think the lower number of commuters is compensated by students going home for the weekend.

 

[Amalie]

In The Netherlands, there are quite a number of companies offering hybrid work. Tuesdays and Thursdays are actually the busiest days. Given a 2 day a week in the office mandate, people would love to be home on Fridays, sleep-in (somewhat) on Mondays, and on Wednesday does school end early for primary school students.

 

[Bikeman78]

When it comes to the morning peak, Fridays are by far the quietest weekday. In the afternoon I think the lower number of commuters is compensated by students going home for the weekend.

On Friday I travelled on the 14:16 from Zwolle to Schiphol. It was a six car Koploper, and it was absolutely rammed full. I stood next to one of the cabs to Almere where I got off. I see that it's normally a seven car on Fridays but it would need to be longer than that for everyone to get a seat. There must be several VIRM spare so it's surprising that units cannot be swapped around to make that one longer.

 

[Mike99]

Regular forum reporters tell us less mobile folk the same applies in the UK. Since the return after Covid, Fridays (not surprisingly) is a much quieter day for commuting into London and other major cities and areas. People opting for a work from home day. The reports often mention that as in the Netherlands, Tuesday - Thursday are the busiest days. On many 'leisure' routes Saturdays and Sundays many services are very busy.

 

[DanielB]

not at all, commuters taking the day off or working @home since corona

Also before Covid, Friday morning was by far the quietest morning peak.

In the afternoon I think the lower number of commuters is compensated by students going home for the weekend.

But that's concentrated on specific lines and those get longer trains at those moments AFAIK. On the ETMET-routes I doubt the effect of students going home is noticeable, as traffic is also spreading to multiple routes while from for example Groningen there is only one route to the rest of the world.

And what NS tends to forget: recreational traffic is also happening more often in the afternoon peak on Fridays. Trains might be less frequent due to less commuters, but might be very busy especially in case it's the last train which can be used with an off peak check in (before 16.00).

 

[Mike99]

for example Groningen there is only one route to the rest of the world.

Also before Covid, Friday morning was by far the quietest morning peak.

for example Groningen there is only one route to the rest of the world. for example Groningen there is only one route to the rest of the world.

Goodness me, now that is a long journey!!! Just teasing.