Some train conductors are refusing to check tickets on Monday in protest at plans to cut the number of staff on double-decker trains. The FNV union is taking industrial action against the proposal to use one conductor rather than two, claiming it will compromise safety for staff and travellers. Instead of checking tickets, conductors are handing out leaflets asking passengers to support them. ‘Moreover, working on the trains is physically demanding,’ FNV spokesman Andries van der Berg told NOS. ‘It’s less strenuous... More >

Thousands of dead chickens spilled from an overturned truck on the A2 have caused the road to be closed heading northwards from Eindhoven, reports NOS. The truck, which had a trailer full of 3,200 chickens, overturned early on Tuesday morning and many of the fowl died in the crash or in collisions with cars. The road is closed from De Hogt junction while vets examine the surviving chickens and rescue those with a chance of survival. Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch transport... More >

Self-driving buses have been tested on the open road for the first time between Schiphol airport and Haarlem. The buses are equipped with 20 cameras that can react to traffic lights and are programmed to travel in the middle of the road. A driver sits at the controls ready to step in if the automatic system fails, BNR reported. The goal is to have the first automatic buses in service by 2020. ‘I think it’s going to be a while... More >

  The North-South metro line will open in July 2018, nine months later than the last projections, reports NOS. The head of transport at Amsterdam municipal council, Pieter Litjens, said there were several problems, including co-ordinating the necessary software, testing all parts, and the bankruptcy of two contractors. ‘There has been a lot of nuisance caused by the works in recent years,’ he admitted. ‘So it is even more annoying that there is a delay.’ The late opening will affect... More >

Public transport companies have pledged to join up services in the Netherland’s main urban belt so people can get from one place to another within an hour, reports NOS. The Dutch public broadcaster said on Thursday that the public transport services NS, Qbuzz, GVB, RET and HTM will ensure trains between the four major cities take no more than half an hour, offering more public connecting services including shared cars, bicycles and taxis. Jaap Bierman, chief executive of HTM bus and tram company... More >

Authorities in the Dominican Republic are investigating the death of a young Dutch couple on their honeymoon. The 31-year-old man and his 28-year-old bride from Voorburg died in hospital after falling ill in their hotel in the Punta Cana area on Saturday night. The pair had spent the day on a trip to a nature reserve before dining in their hotel, said a spokesman for travel agent TUI. During the night the woman awoke complaining of food poisoning. The Dominican... More >