NS suspends passenger assist on busy days

[Trainbike46]

NS states that they will not offer passenger assistance for accessiblity during the F1 races at Zandvoort at stations between Amsterdam Centraal and Zandvoort (inclusive), with the exception of Haarlem, where passenger assist will only be available after 2pm.

Does anyone understand why NS thinks this acceptable, and why it seems they are able to get away with it?

source: https://www.ns.nl/uitgelicht/dutch-grand-prix-retour/goed-voorbereid-naar-de-dutch-grand-prix.html

 

[MisterT]

On those days, between Amsterdam and Zandvoort are only SLT trains running, so fully accessible for disabled passengers.

 

[Trainbike46]

On those days, between Amsterdam and Zandvoort are only SLT trains running, so fully accessible for disabled passengers.

That seems like the kind of detail that should be on the website stating there won't be assistance available, but NS hasn't included that.

I would also add that, while using level-boarding trains greatly reduces the number of people who need assistance, it does not reduce it to zero.

The way the page is phrased also makes it sound as though there is no assistance at the stations in question at all, not just for trains between Amsterdam Centraal and Zandvoort. This is especially an issue at Haarlem, if like at previous F1 events, trains arriving from Leiden terminate there as these wouldn't all be level-boarding.

At the very least this is a big failure in communication by NS, but it comes across to me as very discriminatory.

 

[CyrusWuff]

On those days, between Amsterdam and Zandvoort are only SLT trains running, so fully accessible for disabled passengers.

So what are visually impaired passengers (and others) who need to be guided onto the train supposed to do?

Passenger assistance isn't all about wheelchair users!

 

[Trainbike46]

So what are visually impaired passengers (and others) who need to be guided onto the train supposed to do?

Passenger assistance isn't all about wheelchair users!

+1 to this!

 

[43096]

So what are visually impaired passengers (and others) who need to be guided onto the train supposed to do?

How do they get to the station in the first place?

 

[Amalie]

So what are visually impaired passengers (and others) who need to be guided onto the train supposed to do?

I can see F1 races being somewhat less appealing to attend if you’re visually impaired, which only gets less appealing with full blindness.

Although the trains and platforms in Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Zaandam will be crowded with more than enough people that could tell you which way to go to get on the train.

 

[ainsworth74]

How do they get to the station in the first place?

Taxi I would assume, bus potentially if the stop is close to their home.

 

[dutchflyer]

And a short note from that country: Nederland.
For such things to happen and be officially allowed multitudes of civil servants and all types of committees have to be consulted- and there will be ample talks if and how and for how long etc. Have worked myself nearly 40 yrs as civil servant, so I think I know how it happens here-and got a fairly cynical view on it.
I read the newspapers and follow the news and there has also not been any outcry from possibly ´disciminated´ groups at all.
These races-for which multi-million €s also have to be paid to the international committee- will also lead to considerably altered NS timetables-as trainsets have to be taken from other lines to strengthen this one.

 

[rvdborgt]

And a short note from that country: Nederland.
For such things to happen and be officially allowed multitudes of civil servants and all types of committees have to be consulted- and there will be ample talks if and how and for how long etc. Have worked myself nearly 40 yrs as civil servant, so I think I know how it happens here-and got a fairly cynical view on it.

NS sometimes also just do something. They're know e.g. to "forget" to provide replacement buses in some cases although they are obliged to. This has happened multiple times for Utrecht Overvecht (and more stations). Ultimately, it comes down to what's in the concession, e.g. whether and under what conditions any exceptions are allowed.

I read the newspapers and follow the news and there has also not been any outcry from possibly ´disciminated´ groups at all.

That doesn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe it has gone unnoticed to the press, or they didn't find it important enough.