A discounted train pass that lets people travel off-peak anywhere in the Netherlands for €49 a month has gone on sale, as part of the cabinet’s package to offset higher fuel and energy costs.
The pass is a cut-price version of NS’s “flex dal vrij” subscription, which normally costs nearly €128 a month. It covers off-peak travel on all domestic operators, both NS and regional services, but not international trains such as the Eurostar or ICE.
Off-peak runs on weekdays before 6.30am, between 9am and 4pm, and after 6.30pm, and applies all day at weekends. The discount is available until September 1, after which fares return to normal.
On longer routes the saving adds up fast: a Groningen-Deventer return currently costs €55, so a single trip almost covers the monthly fee, with further off-peak journeys effectively free. On shorter hops it takes longer to pay off – a Den Bosch-Eindhoven return is €16.80, so the pass works out cheaper after three round trips.
The scheme was first proposed by GroenLinks-PvdA, the centre-left alliance now renamed Progressief Nederland (PRO), during a debate on rising fuel prices, and the cabinet set aside up to €118 million to compensate operators when it adopted the plan.
It is modelled on Germany’s Deutschlandticket, but narrower: the Dutch version covers trains only, not buses, trams and metros, and leaves out peak hours.
That exclusion drew criticism in parliament, where MPs argued commuters gain little. Habtamu de Hoop, the PRO MP behind the idea, said it is aimed mainly at day-trippers visiting family and friends, as many commuters already receive travel allowances.
Annet Bertram, the junior minister responsible for public transport, said it was too soon to say whether the trial could lead to a permanent discount or a reduced-fare scheme for people on low incomes.
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