The NS will convert the first-class compartments in a portion of its local trains (sprinters). This will create 3,580 additional seats in second class. The first class in local trains is often empty.
During peak hours, an average of 10 percent of the first-class seats in local trains are occupied, according to the NS. The carrier says this is because travel behavior has changed after the corona pandemic.
Commuters and business travelers are traveling less often by train, as working from home has become more common. This problem does not apply to intercity trains, where travelers make good use of first class.
With the rearrangement, the NS creates 3,580 extra seats in the second class. The carrier expects that there will still be enough places for travelers in the first class after the conversion.
A portion of the first class will be converted in 190 trains: that is about half of all local trains. The NS expects that all 190 local trains will be adapted by the summer of 2026.