Bikes, phones and a fur hat await their owners at NS lost property office

Passengers are leaving so many items behind on trains that Dutch railway company NS is expanding its lost property storage space, the company said on Thursday.

At the same time, fewer items are being reclaimed, even though in 60% of cases people are reunited with their lost property and often within five days, the railway company said.

In the first six months of this year, passengers left behind 26,465 passports, id cards, bank cards and driving licences, as well as 3,767 rucksacks, 3,559 mobile phones and 3,427 purses and wallets.

‘We are also surprised that people can leave behind their before and after train modes of transport such as bikes and walking frames,’ NS said. Among the more unusual items left on trains this year were boxes of Cuban cigars and a shtreimel, the fur had worn by married Hassidic Jews.

On average 323 are left on trains every day. The NS keeps most unclaimed items for three months, after which they are either sold or recycled.