Complexity of train cleaning
NS wants you to step onto a clean train and arrive at your destination via clean stations. This ensures a comfortable journey for you and a pleasant working environment for our colleagues. Every day, around six hundred trains require cleaning. We carry out this work together with approximately a thousand colleagues from our cleaning partners. Despite these efforts, our trains are not always as clean as we would like, and dirty trains tend to stand out even more.
Why does the cleaning of trains not always run smoothly?
Cleaning trains is a complex challenge. There is a shortage of staff, and the logistics are demanding. Trains do not simply go through a car wash. Limited space on the tracks means cleaning and technical work, parking trains, and preparing them for the timetable must be carefully coordinated. As a result, trains are sometimes not in the right place at the right time.
What is NS doing about this?
These challenges will not be resolved quickly, but we are constantly working on improvements. Together with our cleaning partners, we make the work attractive to new colleagues and retain current employees. NS also actively recruits new staff to maintain cleaning quality.
Cleaning the interior of trains
Every train in service is cleaned within 24 hours. We remove loose dirt and stains, empty bins, and clean the toilets. Once a week, we clean floors, windows, and seats. Every three months, trains receive a thorough deep clean. Cleaning also takes place during the timetable. This happens at locations where trains turn around and wait longer, and sometimes cleaners travel on board. Since passengers are on the train, we cannot always clean thoroughly. The focus is on removing loose dirt, emptying bins, and clearing noticeable stains. If time allows, we also clean the toilets more thoroughly.
We aim to deploy cleaning staff as efficiently as possible. Planning for cleaning during the timetable is based on data such as passenger numbers, special events, or reports from travellers and colleagues about dirtiness on specific trains. This can vary daily. This approach enables targeted cleaning and flexibility to meet the needs of the timetable, travellers, and colleagues.
Cleaning the exterior of trains
There are thirteen train wash facilities in the Netherlands. Ideally, trains are washed every two weeks and receive a deep clean every sixty days. In the short term, we focus on the dirtiest trains and test new sustainable cleaning products. In 2023, we introduced special cloths to clean windows and signals more quickly.
In the long term, we want to structurally improve the exterior cleaning process. Innovations such as dirt-repellent coatings on Sprinter trains are being tested in collaboration with universities and industry partners. This keeps trains cleaner for longer while remaining environmentally friendly.
How travellers can help
You can help keep trains inviting by leaving your seat and the toilet clean. If a bin is full, please take your rubbish with you and dispose of it in another bin. If you notice something particularly dirty or disturbing, report it via the NS app: under ‘More’ > ‘How was your journey?’ you can provide feedback. We monitor these reports and take swift action when needed.