Train passengers in the European Union (EU) have rights under EU law. In the Netherlands, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) ensures that train operating companies (TOCs) comply with EU rules on passenger rights. If you have a complaint about a TOC, always submit your complaint to that company first.
Rights for train passengers
As a train passenger, you have a number of rights. For example, in the event of delays and cancellations on the railways or if your luggage is lost. Read more about your rights as a train passenger (in Dutch) on the rijksoverheid.nl website.
Assistance for passengers with disabilities
Stations and trains must be accessible to everyone (in Dutch), with or without disabilities. TOCs and station managers are responsible for ensuring this. The ILT oversees this in the Netherlands.
Train passengers with disabilities are entitled to, among other things:
- Accessible stations.
- Assistance at the station and on the train.
- Information about accessibility and assistance, before and during the journey.
- Digitally accessible products and services, such as travel information or online ticket booking.
If you need assistance at the station or during your journey, notify the transport operator in good time. This will allow station managers to arrange assistance. Assistance is available at many stations. You can read more about travelling with a disability on the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) website. You can request travel assistance from NS. If you travelling with another TOC, you can find out what options are available for your train journey on the TOCs website.
Submitting a complaint about train transport
You can submit a complaint about all carriers on the main rail network. This includes carriers that provide public transport, such as NS, Arriva or Connexxion, as well as railway companies that provide private passenger transport, such as the Alpenexpress, Eurostar or other national and international carriers that operate on the rail network in the Netherlands. You can read how to submit a complaint about train transport on the TOCs website.
The TOC must respond to your complaint within 1 month. The deadline for a final response is a maximum of 3 months. The company must inform you of this within the first month.
Please note: This complaints procedure does not apply to trams, express trams, metros and light rail (such as RandstadRail). You can read more about the complaints procedures that apply to these transport operators on their websites.
Escalate your complaint
If you are not satisfied with the response from the TOC, you can submit your complaint about train transport to an independent body (in Dutch).
The ILT does not handle individual complaints about transport operators and station managers. However, the ILT can take enforcement action against transport operators and station managers who systematically violate the rules. The ILT can take measures to ensure that the railway operator complies with the rules. This is in the interest of you and all passengers. The ILT therefore welcomes your report if a TOC handles your complaint incorrectly.