Train passengers are suffering from ProRail strike: no trains will run in these areas tomorrow

The strike has been organized by the FNV trade union, but ProRail feels they have to stop train traffic as a precaution. “That has to do with safety and predictability,” said a ProRail spokesman. “It’s not fun, but it’s obvious. If you look at the journey planner now, you will see which trains will be running tomorrow.”

Impact greater than strike zone

There will be strikes in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, but the unrest will not be limited to these cities. No train traffic will be possible in North Holland and parts of Flevoland and Utrecht, the NS reports. Trains will not run between Leiden, Schiphol and Haarlem either.

The important thing to realize is that if, for example, a train with the final destination Groningen from Amsterdam does not leave because of the strike, it will not reach Groningen and the timetable will be disrupted. time after that.

People who want to travel to Schiphol tomorrow can travel to the airport from Amsterdam Central Station. However, there will only be four trains per hour. The train operator therefore advises passengers to arrange alternative transport where possible.

This map shows exactly which routes will be affected by the strike:

The strike applies between 6am and 9am, but the NS warns that passengers should also take into account delays and stop trains for the rest of the morning.

In the meantime, the ANWB is expecting more traffic and longer traffic jams as a result of the strike at ProRail. “There is no doubt that many people will not be traveling on the train tomorrow, and are not betting that the train will run tomorrow afternoon,” said a spokesperson. The ANWB advises road users to leave early and keep a close eye on the current traffic situation.

Try to prevent anxiety

The FNV trade union says that they have tried to limit the inconvenience to passengers as much as possible. For example, the strike is deliberate at the beginning of the day and not in the evening. “In the middle of the day, both the train and the driver are in the wrong place, so the resulting damage is much greater,” said a spokesman. It will then be much more difficult to restart the timetable.

After 9am, passengers should be able to use the normal timetable again. The spokesperson admits that this will affect the morning rush hour, but says that if the strike had been later in the day, the evening rush hour would have been affected.

The reason a strike that is user-friendly was not chosen, for example not checking train tickets, is because it is not a strike by train workers but by ProRail workers . These include train traffic control, track maintenance and the possible construction of new rail tracks. So ProRail has no say in whether tickets should be activated or not. “At a certain point you have to show dissatisfaction,” said a spokesperson from FNV about why the strike is taking place.

Buying compensation

The reason for the strike is that the working agreement with ProRail has stopped. The FNV wants a pay increase of 13 percent. ProRail says it is “very sorry” about the strike. “But we simply cannot agree to a 13 per cent wage demand,” said a spokesman. “That demand must be off the table.”

In the case of the FNV union, the wage demand is not as big as it seems. The previous collective labor agreement was terminated too high of inflation in September 2022. According to the FNV spokesperson, ProRail workers have lost about 12 percent of purchasing power as a result, and according to the union this must be compensated.

Additional strikes

The FNV trade union has also announced further strikes. For example, there will be strikes in Utrecht and Amersfoort this Friday. Since Utrecht is a major point for train traffic, this can cause a lot of inconvenience for passengers. The time also corresponds to the strike tomorrow, from 6 am to 9 am.

The other strikes – all from 6am to 9am – are listed below:

• Monday November 18: Rotterdam, The Hague and Roosendaal.
• Wednesday, November 20: Eindhoven and Maastricht.
• Friday, November 22: Zwolle, Groningen and Arnhem.