Dutch state-owned railway company NS is putting up the price of most season tickets by the maximum 2.2% this year, despite thousands of complaints about overcrowding on commuter routes.

The price rises are part of NS’s ‘moderate pricing policy’, a senior transport ministry spokesman told rail lobby group Maatschaapij Voor Beter OV, the NRC reports. The NS is allowed to put up ticket prices by inflation plus 1%.

Ordinary tickets will cost 2.09% more, while off-peak season tickets will remain unchanged.

The lobby group had written to the government urging it to freeze train ticket prices because of the poor services.

In a letter, the ministry replied: ‘The NS has opted for the maximum permitted price increase’, adding that ticket prices are not connected to the shortage of seats on busy routes.

In addition, the NS is pumping €3bn into improving services and has to pay an increased fee to the state-owned track company ProRail, the ministry said.