Dutch railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) will increase the price of train tickets and most subscriptions by an average of 6.52% from 1 January 2026. The rise is significantly lower than the 12% initially anticipated, following an agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) to spread part of the additional adjustment over four years. Fares for children up to 11 will remain unchanged.
The fare increase reflects the forecast inflation for 2026 as well as the backlog of inflation from previous years. Under concession rules, NS was permitted to raise fares only in line with expected inflation, even as actual inflation rose sharply. As a result, ticket prices have lagged considerably behind real inflation.
“De prijsverhoging is daardoor hoger dan we hadden gewild, maar wel een stuk lager dan eerder gevreesd,” said Bertien van Baak, NS Director of Commerce. She added that NS aims to keep the average increase as limited as possible while maintaining affordable options through specific subscriptions and campaigns such as NS PrijsTijd Deals (NS Off-Peak PriceTime Deals).
Adjustments to 1st and 2nd class
NS will raise the price of 1st class tickets more than 2nd class on weekdays. At weekends, where there is typically more availability in 1st class, the price gap between the two classes will be reduced to attract more leisure travellers.
Children and young people
NS will continue to offer free travel for children up to 11 through the Kids Vrij (Kids Free Travel) subscription, which remains free of fixed monthly charges. Around 250,000 children currently hold this subscription, up 10% on last year. The Railrunner (Children’s €2.50 unlimited-travel ticket) also remains unchanged.
The Dal Voordeel (Off-Peak Discount) subscription for young people aged 12–17 will continue to be offered free of charge.
Subscription changes from 2026
NS will stop selling the Weekend Voordeel (Weekend Discount) and Altijd Voordeel (Anytime Discount) subscriptions from 1 February 2026. Existing customers can continue using them until 1 July 2026. Research shows that many passengers find the current subscription portfolio too extensive and sometimes confusing; according to NS, most existing customers will find an alternative that is cheaper under the updated system.
Other tariff updates
Key changes in the 2026 pricing structure include:
-
Train tickets and most subscriptions increase by 6.52%.
-
Kids Vrij (Kids Free Travel) remains free; Railrunner (Children’s €2.50 unlimited-travel ticket) remains EUR 2.50.
-
Higher weekday surcharge for 1st class; reduced weekend surcharge.
-
Dal Voordeel 60+ (Off-Peak Discount 60+, with seven free-choice days) rises from EUR 8.41 to EUR 9.26 per month.
-
Sales of Weekend Voordeel (Weekend Discount) and Altijd Voordeel (Anytime Discount) to end.
-
The maximum fare for forgetting to check out rises from EUR 20.00 to EUR 33.30. Passengers who forget can request a refund via MijnNS or Customer Service.
-
OV-fiets rental rises from EUR 4.65 to EUR 4.80.
Growing uptake of discount tickets
NS reports rising interest in discount options, including the NS PrijsTijd Deal (NS Off-Peak PriceTime Deal) early-booking tickets. More than 1 million of these were sold in 2025, compared with half a million in a similar period in 2024. Since this autumn, young people receive an additional 20% discount on PrijsTijd Deal tickets.
Subscription use is also increasing, with many travellers opting for products offering 40% discounts during off-peak or weekend travel. NS notes that most customers recover the EUR 6.35 monthly cost of the Dal Voordeel (Off-Peak Discount) subscription with just one return journey in off-peak hours.
Share on:
