Enough evidence for overcrowding case against NS

There is enough evidence to prosecute national train company NS for overcrowding, consumer organisation ConsumentenClaim has told broadcaster Nos.

In a two-week period, it has received photographic evidence of overcrowded trains from about 4,000 people after asking people last month to join its claim on a no cure, no pay basis.

ConsumentenClaim director Stef Smit told the broadcaster: ‘We wanted to prove that these overcrowded trains are a structural problem. The NS often points to electrical failures or other problems on the track, but now we can show that things also go wrong when nothing is going on.’

The foundation wants to go to court on behalf of 10,000 rail passengers, although it has agreed with NS to wait for a report from the infrastructure and environment ministry on the problem first.

The rail company has been plagued with overcrowding problems, partly blamed on a failure to replace old models in good time.

At the beginning of March director Roger van Boxtel announced a €3bn investment in new trains, and also encouraged universities, companies and the civil service to schedule meetings after morning peak travel times to help avoid overcrowding.