If you feel in danger during a train journey, you can send a WhatsApp message to the NS. The service was introduced in crown time, when trains were often practically empty. The wagons are now back packed full. Do train passengers actually use the phone number? And what happens when you apply?
‘Troublesome or dangerous situation on the train or at the station? WhatsApp or write to 0613181318 for a direct contact with the NS. ‘ Stickers with that text have been on train compartment windows since last summer.
According to NS spokesperson Leonie Bosselaar, the service has been in regular use since its introduction in 2020. 1,200 WhatsApp messages were received last year, nearly 400 more than the previous year. Bosselaar calls the increase logical, because many more people have been using the train since 2021. At the “low point of the crown” which was around 100,000 people a day, today it’s 1 million again.
Since the summer, the WhatsApp service has received greater attention in trains and stations. At the same time, more and more news about the staff shortage at the transport organization Bosselaar stresses that train safety is separated from staff shortages. “We are canceling the trains, but we are absolutely not compromising the safety of passengers or drivers.”
Defines the service as an addition to other security measures, such as service and security personnel and cameras in trains and stations. According to Bosselaar, the apps help provide information on which routes and stations need additional security measures. More employees are employed in major stations such as Utrecht Central Station and “problematic routes” such as Eindhoven-Weert (where many people travel without tickets).
These stickers are found on the windows of NS trains.
These stickers are found on the windows of NS trains.
Texting when you don’t feel safe: how does it work?
“Travelers’ apps that feel insecure are immediately sent to the control room. It is occupied 24/7 by an NS employee. After asking a few questions, the employee estimates what is needed.” Leave the broadcasters who beggars are present on the train, warn people about pickpockets or send a service and security officer to fight the travelers, “says the NS spokesperson.
Most of the reports that come in are about noise pollution or breaking house rules like talking in a quiet compartment. According to Bosselaar, commuters today have a harder time talking to fellow travelers about their behavior. “People have a short fuse and get angry quickly.”
In serious cases such as assaults and intimidation, the police are called. If necessary, agents will wait on the platform of the next station. But this only happens in exceptional situations.
