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What compensation does NS offer?

We're here for you, even after a stroke of bad luck. Here is a list of different types of compensation we offer if your journey is delayed or disrupted.

The following list is based on the Main railway franchise scheme 2015-2025, the NS Terms & Conditions of Transportation (AVR-NS), the NS Delay Refund Terms & Conditions and relevant rules and regulations (e.g. the 2000 Passenger transport act and the European Passenger Rights Regulation).

What kind of compensation and/or assistance do we offer?

  • Delay compensation. If you are delayed by at least 30 minutes*, we will compensate you for the delay. NS may invoke force majeure to avoid paying delay compensation. The following situations are examples of force majeur: a national power outage, terrorist threats, exceptional weather and major natural disasters.
  • Ticket refund. If your journey is expected to be delayed by at least 60 minutes, we will refund your ticket (if you did not claim delay compensation).
  • Replacement transportation. In the event of disruptions (i.e. long-term disruptions as a result of which transport by train is no longer possible at all on an NS route), we will offer you alternate modes of transport if this is reasonably possible. NS determines which replacement transport is used. NS will not compensate travellers who decide to travel on their own with other providers or use alternate modes of transport, such as taxis. Alleen in zeer uitzonderlijke gevallen vergoeden we het door jouzelf geregelde vervangend vervoer.
  • Food, beverages and overnight accommodations. In the event of major delays, we may offer you the objectively necessary food and beverages, depending on the circumstances. If necessary and physically feasible, we may offer you accommodations for the night.

* If you are travelling with the Intercity direct, you are entitled to compensation if you are delayed by 15 minutes or more. Intercity direct passengers are entitled to different amounts of compensation than listed below. For more information, please consult the compensation table.

Which conditions apply to my ticket and situation?

Below is a list of your options in certain situations, what we can offer and how you can arrange it. The situations below all pertain to your train journey with NS. All mentions of trains refer explicitly to NS trains. Certain Terms and Conditions apply, including the NS Terms & Conditions for transportation (theAVR-NS), the Terms & Conditions of the Delay Refund for NS journeys scheme and the Terms & Conditions of the European Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/782).

The following list is based on the Main railway franchise scheme 2015-2025, the NS Terms & Conditions of Transportation (AVR-NS), the NS Delay Refund Terms & Conditions and relevant rules and regulations (e.g. the 2000 Passenger transport act and the European Passenger Rights Regulation).

What kind of compensation and/or assistance do we offer?

  • Delay compensation. If you are delayed by at least 30 minutes*, we will compensate you for the delay. NS may invoke force majeure to avoid paying delay compensation. The following situations are examples of force majeur: a national power outage, terrorist threats, exceptional weather and major natural disasters.
  • Ticket refund. If your journey is expected to be delayed by at least 60 minutes, we will refund your ticket (if you did not claim delay compensation).
  • Replacement transportation. In the event of disruptions (i.e. long-term disruptions as a result of which transport by train is no longer possible at all on an NS route), we will offer you alternate modes of transport if this is reasonably possible. NS determines which replacement transport is used. NS will not compensate travellers who decide to travel on their own with other providers or use alternate modes of transport, such as taxis. Alleen in zeer uitzonderlijke gevallen vergoeden we het door jouzelf geregelde vervangend vervoer.
  • Food, beverages and overnight accommodations. In the event of major delays, we may offer you the objectively necessary food and beverages, depending on the circumstances. If necessary and physically feasible, we may offer you accommodations for the night.

* If you are travelling with the Intercity direct, you are entitled to compensation if you are delayed by 15 minutes or more. Intercity direct passengers are entitled to different amounts of compensation than listed below. For more information, please consult the compensation table.

Which conditions apply to my ticket and situation?

Below is a list of your options in certain situations, what we can offer and how you can arrange it. The situations below all pertain to your train journey with NS. All mentions of trains refer explicitly to NS trains. Certain Terms and Conditions apply, including the NS Terms & Conditions for transportation (theAVR-NS), the Terms & Conditions of the Delay Refund for NS journeys scheme and the Terms & Conditions of the European Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/782).

Replacement transportation

In the event of a service disruption, we recommend that you take the next train if possible. If no trains are expected along your route for the foreseeable future, then we recommend that you travel with NS via another route. You can find the fastest way to reach your destination using the Travel Planner in the NS App or at NS.nl.

If it is not possible to travel with NS via another route, then we will arrange alternate modes of transportation. In principle, the first choice for alternate transport is to arrange replacement bus services. NS is dependent on the availability of buses and bus drivers to provide replacement bus service. Unfortunately, there are not always enough buses or drivers available to provide replacement bus service. In large cities, we consider using other scheduled public transport services, such as the metro. In these situations, NS will post a message on the current situation on the tracks page advising travellers to travel with another provider. For up-to-date detour options, click on the “Disruptions and engineering work” link in the Travel Planner using the NS app or NS.nl.

Replacement transportation

In the event of a service disruption, we recommend that you take the next train if possible. If no trains are expected along your route for the foreseeable future, then we recommend that you travel with NS via another route. You can find the fastest way to reach your destination using the Travel Planner in the NS App or at NS.nl.

If it is not possible to travel with NS via another route, then we will arrange alternate modes of transportation. In principle, the first choice for alternate transport is to arrange replacement bus services. NS is dependent on the availability of buses and bus drivers to provide replacement bus service. Unfortunately, there are not always enough buses or drivers available to provide replacement bus service. In large cities, we consider using other scheduled public transport services, such as the metro. In these situations, NS will post a message on the current situation on the tracks page advising travellers to travel with another provider. For up-to-date detour options, click on the “Disruptions and engineering work” link in the Travel Planner using the NS app or NS.nl.

What else can we offer?

Detours

We will decide which replacement travel service to use, depending on the situation. NS will not compensate travellers who decide to travel on their own with other providers or use alternate modes of transport, such as taxis. We will only compensate for the costs of detours with other providers if we have recommended using the alternate mode of transport for the detour. We will post this recommendation on the (“Disruptions and engineering work” page in the Travel Planner using the NS app or NS.nl. Please note: the NS Travel Planner will always recommend the fastest route, even if it is by bicycle, but this is not the route recommended by NS in the event of a disruption of service.

Alternate transportation

In certain exceptional circumstances, we may compensate travellers for the cost of replacement transportation, or explicitly allow stranded passengers to arrange alternate transportation themselves, such as taxis, and to request a (partial) refund from NS. We will announce this exceptional arrangement via NS.nl. In certain exceptional circumstances we may also arrange a taxi for you based on your specific situation at the moment of the disruption. In this case, we will arrange the taxi service.

Information within 100 minutes

We do everything in our power to provide information about alternate travel options as quickly as possible when your scheduled train is seriously delayed or cancelled. If we are not able to provide you with information on how you can continue your journey within 100 minutes of the scheduled departure time of your delayed or cancelled train, then you may choose another mode of public transport (train or bus, and not a taxi, rental car or your own car). If this alternate solution results in a greater expense than if you had travelled with NS along your chosen route, then NS will refund the additional amount for necessary, suitable and reasonable expenses for the alternate travel route.

Support (food, beverages and overnight accommodations)

In the event of major delays, NS may offer you the objectively necessary food and beverages, depending on the circumstances. If necessary and physically feasible, we may offer you accommodations for the night.

What else can we offer?

Detours

We will decide which replacement travel service to use, depending on the situation. NS will not compensate travellers who decide to travel on their own with other providers or use alternate modes of transport, such as taxis. We will only compensate for the costs of detours with other providers if we have recommended using the alternate mode of transport for the detour. We will post this recommendation on the (“Disruptions and engineering work” page in the Travel Planner using the NS app or NS.nl. Please note: the NS Travel Planner will always recommend the fastest route, even if it is by bicycle, but this is not the route recommended by NS in the event of a disruption of service.

Alternate transportation

In certain exceptional circumstances, we may compensate travellers for the cost of replacement transportation, or explicitly allow stranded passengers to arrange alternate transportation themselves, such as taxis, and to request a (partial) refund from NS. We will announce this exceptional arrangement via NS.nl. In certain exceptional circumstances we may also arrange a taxi for you based on your specific situation at the moment of the disruption. In this case, we will arrange the taxi service.

Information within 100 minutes

We do everything in our power to provide information about alternate travel options as quickly as possible when your scheduled train is seriously delayed or cancelled. If we are not able to provide you with information on how you can continue your journey within 100 minutes of the scheduled departure time of your delayed or cancelled train, then you may choose another mode of public transport (train or bus, and not a taxi, rental car or your own car). If this alternate solution results in a greater expense than if you had travelled with NS along your chosen route, then NS will refund the additional amount for necessary, suitable and reasonable expenses for the alternate travel route.

Support (food, beverages and overnight accommodations)

In the event of major delays, NS may offer you the objectively necessary food and beverages, depending on the circumstances. If necessary and physically feasible, we may offer you accommodations for the night.