Train travelers to Belgium, Germany will soon have to book a seat due to crowded trains

Train travelers to Belgium and Germany will soon have to reserve a seat in advance on many trains from mid-June. The Dutch railway company NS is taking measures against overcrowded trains. It will also limit the number of cheap tickets to Belgium, AD reports.

While NS’s main problem on domestic routes is fewer travelers, the opposite is true on international trains to Belgium and Germany. A record number of people booked an international trip with NS last year, leading to major crowding problems in the summer. It often happened that not all waiting travelers could get on a train or that trains skipped stations because they were already full.

NS is trying to prevent a new crisis this summer by taking measures. For train trips to Germany, travelers will have to reserve a seat during the high season - from June 17 to August 18. The measure applies to all ICE trains. NS will extend trains where possible and do extra maintenance on the equipment on international routes to prevent cancelations and problems.
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